Garrett's Choice
by emmettroselover
Summary: Sequel to Jasper's Choice. Alice's visions of fire and destruction bring the Cullens and Denalis face to face with a potentially dangerous vampire. What will Garrett do when his creator is involved and how will Kate responds to his secrets? Garrett/Kate, Tanya/Benjamin, Carmen/Eleazar, Bella/Edward, Alice/Jasper, Emmett/Rosalie, Carlisle/Esme, Seth/Kaya, Renesmee/Nahuel, and more!
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is yet another sequel within The Choice Series. I hope you all enjoy it and for those who have been patiently waiting for this story, thank you so much for the love, support, and the messages. It is so nice to know people read these stories and enjoy them just like I enjoy writing them.

Chapter 1

Uncontrollable, visceral in approach and white hot in appearance. The flames were all consuming and never ending. It was not just a fire, it had a life of its own, and it devoured the Olympic Forest. Its next destination…..Forks.

Alice took in a deep, shaky breath as her eyes cleared from the vision and she returned to the present. She was no longer in the flaming forest. She was on the island with her mate and the sun reflected against her diamond-like skin. Jasper wrapped his strong arms protectively around her and she rested her head against his chest as she tried to make sense of the vision.

"What did you see darlin'? What has you so spooked," he asked in his southern drawl and she sighed as she looked out at the water. It was such a contrast from the scene repeating in her mind.

"I don't know. It was blurry and I could not see anything but….." She stopped midsentence as the dread from the vision shook her to the core. Jasper sensed her fear.

"What was it Alice?" She looked down, but he lifted her chin up with his finger.

"I'm sure it is nothing we can't handle darlin'," he assured.

"I could not see anything, but destruction. The entire Olympic Forest, Forks, La Push and any town in the vicinity would be obliterated." Jasper frowned.

"By what, what caused it?"

"All I see are flames."

"A forest fire doesn't sound so bad. Humans can fight those and…"

"It wasn't a natural fire, Jasper," she confessed as she closed her eyes again to check her vision. Nothing, but the flames of destruction filled her vision.

Forks, Washington was its usual rainy and cloudy self as rain showers washed over the lush green region. The air was still chilly as it transitioned from winter to spring and March began to bring the dead of winter back to life. It had been two years since the chaos with Maria and her army and the family was relieved to get back to a normal routine, which included visits to see Bella and Seth's parents. Bella and Charlie were on the porch of his house. Renesmee, Nahuel, Seth, and Kaya were inside with Sue eating lunch and Charlie noticed Bella look down at her watch for the third time.

"It has only been a couple of hours Bells. After being married to him for so many years, I thought you would be tired of him hovering over you," teased Charlie and Bella giggled.

"Dad, Edward doesn't hover. It is a mate thing. He said he would be back in a couple of hours from hunting."

"A mate thing, is that vampire talk for hovering," he asked and she rolled her eyes. She wrapped her arm around him with a sly smile.

"I think if you and Sue were apart for a couple of hours, you would feel the loss as well. I remember a time when that wouldn't have been the case. You used to be so focused on work and only work, but retirement is good for you. I am sure Sue appreciates you being home so much."

"I thought it would be hard to retire, but it is different when you have someone to come home to. Before Sue, I was so….."

"Lonely, I know that and your connection with her is similar in concept, but for mates, the bond is even stronger."

"Vampires, wolves, mates, this stuff is pretty heavy Bells. And what is with the other kid….Seth's brother….or step….well not step brother….but…..help me out here Bells."

"Zach, Rosalie and Emmett's son," she answered with a giggle and he chuckled.

"Yea, the boy is huge. Now I know I am getting up there in age, but my mind isn't that far gone. The boy is what, four…five….."

"He will be five in September, which is why he looks fifteen. Soon, he will look eighteen and stop growing just like Renesmee did."

"Do you hear yourself right now? He will be five in September, so he looks fifteen? Is that vampire math? Did you have to go to some special school to learn that?" She giggled again.

"I know it is a lot to understand, but Zach is a special child, just like Renesmee was."

"But he is growing faster than Renesmee right?"

"Yes and becoming more and more like his father."

"Just what we need, another Emmett running around here," he mumbled and she kissed his cheek.

"You know you love our crazy family."

"I know I love you and I love Renesmee. I can deal with the craziness for my two girls."

"But don't forget, you have craziness on your wife's side as well." He smirked.

"Oh trust me, I know, but Joshua doesn't grow fast at all. That's a cute kid, five years old and extremely smart."

"Josh doesn't grow like Zach."

"Right, he is normal," agreed Charlie and Bella bit her lip.

"I wouldn't say that. Normal would mean going through puberty without worrying about turning into a wolf when he gets older." Charlie slowly nodded as comprehension dawned on him.

"A wolf, right, of course, why wouldn't he be a wolf, why would that be weird," he asked sarcastically. Bella suddenly perked up and her eyes were trained on the forest to the side of the house. Charlie waved a hand in front of her eyes, but they never left the forest.

"Mate thing dad," she mumbled and he smirked as he stood up.

"Well let me go inside then. Don't mind me, just the normal old human, trying to make sense of it all," he announced as he walked inside. Bella stood up as her senses took over. Edward emerged from the forest at a human pace with a crooked smile on his face. The dark blue sweater he wore during the hunt had no signs of the event and there was not a bronze hair out of place on his head. She let her shield down so he could hear her thoughts and he chuckled as he pulled her into his arms. One sweet kiss became two, then four, but he pulled away before their passion could override their senses.

"Charlie is concerned about something," he said as he read the man's thoughts inside the house. Bella rolled her eyes.

"He is still trying to wrap his mind around the supernatural stuff," she assured, but he shook his head as he frowned.

"No, he just likes teasing you about that. He understands it all just fine. Something is wrong." He slipped his hand in hers and entered the house. They walked into the kitchen where the others were eating and Charlie stood against the counter with a newspaper in his hands.

"About time you got back. Are my thoughts troublesome enough for you," he asked Edward and held out the newspaper. Edward quickly took it and scanned over the front page. Bella read along as Edward tried to solve the mystery.

"Maybe a newborn, but that would not explain the fires," mumbled Edward and Bella read the headline out loud.

"Tacoma Police Department investigating string of murders, serial killer on the loose…it can't be a newborn. Marcus and Didyme would already know about it. What if it is just a serial killer? Humans can be bad too," explained Bella, but Charlie shook his head.

"I have a buddy who works for the department in Tacoma. He is a detective. They think it is a pyromaniac, but one of the rookies saw something the other night. He described it as a ghost that just disappeared right before his eyes. They think he was just in shock after taking a spill down some stairs, but I know better. It has to be a vampire….wait. Ghosts don't exist right? I mean, ghosts aren't part of the deal," questioned Charlie as he looked at them suspiciously and Edward chuckled as he read his thoughts.

"No Charlie, as far as we know, ghosts are not an issue. Marcus and Didyme could be thrown off by the arson cases involved. That definitely isn't how newborns operate," explained Edward.

"What if one did, would that be so out of place," asked Charlie and Seth chuckled as he placed his empty plate in the sink.

"Listen to you Charlie, trying to start up a new career? I can see it now, Charlie Swan, the vampire detective," teased Seth. Charlie rolled his eyes and Kaya was the only one to giggle. Seth scoffed.

"Tough crowd," mumbled Seth and Renesmee giggled.

"Sorry Seth, but Zach and Emmett aren't here to laugh at your ridiculous jokes," she teased. He stuck his tongue out at her and she did the same. Nahuel smiled at their interaction and stood up to look at the newspaper.

"This doesn't sound like a newborn, but we all know that doesn't mean we should rule the supernatural out. Maybe we need a second opinion," suggested Nahuel and Edward read his mind before patting his shoulder proudly.

"Good idea son," agreed Edward and Nahuel beamed from the praise. Edward grinned mischievously as Bella eyed the two of them.

"What is going on," she asked and Renesmee and Kaya left the table as well to stand with their mates. Edward smirked.

"Nahuel thinks we should contact Eleazar to see if he knows about any type of vampires that can cause fires. Unfortunately for Nahuel, we have to stop by the Black house first to get Rose, Emmett, and Zach. Charlie, Sue, we'll keep you updated," informed Edward and Nahuel began to whine like a child told he had to go to school in the morning.

"Can't I stay here or better yet, Renesmee and I will head back to the island now," suggested Nahuel and Renesmee smirked. She grabbed his collar and pulled him out of the house.

"We're going," she announced and he groaned, but followed his mate out of the house as Seth laughed.

"Dude, you just got owned by your wife," taunted Seth and Kaya raised an eyebrow at him.

"And what's wrong with that," she challenged and he gulped.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing…..jeez Kaya stop looking at me like that. I will forever damn the day that Rose taught you how to give that look, ugh!" Seth ran out the house as Kaya laughed and Sue winked at her.

"I see you know how to keep him in line," said Sue and Kaya sighed.

"Yea right, have you met your son," she teased and Sue gave her a hug.

"Good point. Seth, get your butt back here and give me a hug," she demanded as they walked onto the porch.

"Sorry, sorry, jeez," mumbled Seth as he jogged back up the stairs of the porch to hug his mother. She kissed his cheek.

"Stay out of trouble," she warned and he smirked.

"Yea like I can ever do that, bye mom, bye Charlie," he called as he followed his mate to their BMW. Bella and Renesmee hugged and kissed Charlie goodbye. Renesmee turned to leave, but Charlie grabbed her hand again.

"Now you know you can tell me if that boy is out of line right? Vampire or not, my shotgun would have a good time trying to test how indestructible he is," assured Charlie and Nahuel gulped as he waited for his mate. Renesmee kissed her grandfather's cheek again.

"Grandpa, Nahuel and I are great, stop threatening him. He is my husband."

"That never stops me from threatening your dad. I just get to do it in my mind," he explained and Bella's jaw dropped as Edward nodded.

"Yes, and I have been meaning to compliment you on your new tactics, very creative. Medieval machinery wouldn't do any damage though," informed Edward and Charlie muttered his disappointment in expletives under his breath. Bella and Renesmee kissed his cheek one more time before leaving him to his imagination.

The Black residence was full of boisterous taunting as Jacob and Emmett played their favorite video game. Leah and Rosalie were watching Zach and Josh play in Josh's room. Zach was helping him build an elaborate racetrack around the room.

"He is so big now, definitely Emmett's kid," said Leah and Rosalie smiled proudly at her son. His curly, blond hair and dimples made him adorable, but he was packed with muscle and already past six feet tall. At the age of four, Zach was nearing the end of his development and the thought made Rosalie sigh.

"I am not ready for him to stop growing yet. This has moved way too fast," she confessed and Leah placed a hand on hers.

"But you still get eternity with him and that is what matters. Besides, he might look like a teenager, but he has a ways to go before you have to worry about girls."

"Don't remind me. His powers are progressing as well. I don't know how powerful he really is or what he is capable of, but I know it is much more than I ever imagined. He was racing Em around the island the other day. The two of them love swimming around it to see who is faster. Emmett thought that cheating would be the best option since Zach is starting to beat him now that he is getting so big. He grabbed Zach and tossed him back toward land, but Zach surprised the both of us when he used his force field to stop his momentum in midair and boost himself back into the water."

"How is that possible," asked Leah and Rosalie shrugged.

"I don't know. It is developing with him I guess. It is getting bigger and he can use it in so many ways. I always knew he would be talented, but I never thought he would be so powerful. Emmett did not stop smiling the entire day it happened. He was so proud."

"Well at least you know what you have with Zach. I know Josh will be a wolf. Jake keeps telling him legends of our tribe and he loves them, but I have no clue when the change will occur, especially since he is so close with Zach."

"I didn't expect for them to get even closer. I mean Zach is so big compared to Josh, but age wise he is still younger than him. I don't think there is a book out there that could prepare us for this." Leah groaned.

"When they get older, can you imagine? I mean think about it…"

"I don't want to….."

"When Josh is a teenager, they will both look like teens and once Josh starts to phase, they are going to be a handful." Rosalie nodded in agreement.

"Lucky for us, we have a big family to keep them in line," giggled Rosalie and Leah sighed in relief.

"Thank God for that," she agreed. Suddenly, Seth ran into the room.

"We have a big problem, come on," he urged and ran back out, but Rosalie glared in his direction.

"Seth, get your butt back in here," she called and he ran back in.

"Right, sorry, sorry, jeez, two moms, but the same yelling," he grumbled before giving her a hug and sticking his tongue out at his sister. "Sup Leah! Come on, let's go! Z, J, you have to see this!"

"Cool," shouted the two boys and they ran into the living room with Rosalie and Leah right behind them. Nahuel, Emmett, Jacob, and Kaya were frowning at the report on the television. Renesmee was speaking to her Aunt Alice on the phone as Edward and Bella each spoke to Carlisle and Esme on their phones as well. Rosalie groaned.

"What is going on," asked Rosalie and Leah smirked.

"I guess a couple more years without any issues was too much to ask," muttered Leah as Jacob turned up the volume on the television.

"An unexplainably large forest fire is spreading throughout Olympic National Forest. Firefighters are trying to contain it, but the fire is spreading rapidly and heading northwest. The amount of damage caused could be catastrophic and if the fire reaches the towns at the end of its path….." Jacob muted the television.

"I don't know what we can do about it. We should let the firefighters handle it," advised Jacob and Edward ended his call with Carlisle before speaking.

"It could reach Forks and the rez in a couple of hours. If this fire is linked to the problems in Tacoma, then we are definitely involved." Renesmee nodded.

"Aunt Alice says it could reach Forks faster than we think. Someone started the fire dad. She thinks it is a vampire. She had a vision earlier, but has been trying to see more in order to give us some useful information. She also thinks Nahuel is onto something and already called Eleazar," informed Renesmee.

"Mom says they will wait for the Denalis on the island," added Bella and Jacob nodded.

"Well, I guess we have to stop it," said Jacob and Nahuel rolled his eyes.

"What are you going to do, wag your tail at it," he asked and Jacob stepped up to Nahuel.

"You better be glad you make Renesmee happy or I would…."

"You would what," challenged Nahuel. Renesmee pushed them apart and looked at Leah.

"A little help here," said Renesmee, but Leah shrugged.

"They don't like each other, what would you have me do about it," asked Leah and Renesmee sighed as she looked at her husband.

"Nahuel, I am tired of this. You two are family whether you like it or not and you don't need to be rude, especially not now," she warned and Jacob crossed his arms as Nahuel looked away.

"Fine, you're right. All I was saying is that while Jacob might think he is the big bad wolf, he is really just putting himself in danger. Seth, Jacob, and Leah have to stay away from that fire. They are no good to us in this situation," explained Nahuel and Zach jumped up and down.

"But I am," he exclaimed and Rosalie groaned.

"Zach, no," she said sternly, but Emmett pulled his mate to him.

"Babe, we have to let him help. I think he could do more to stop it than any of us can," said Emmett and she glared at him.

"You are willing to put our son in danger?"

"Of course not, but how many lives are in danger if he doesn't help," asked Emmett and Edward's phone rang.

"It's Alice," he announced and quickly spoke with his sister at vampire speed before hanging up.

"She saw nomads, four of them in the area. One of them started the fire. We are going to have our hands full trying to find them and I know we have a lot of abilities, but how exactly are we going to stop a raging fire without Zach," asked Edward and Rosalie shifted her glare to her brother.

"We don't know if he can…"

"Alice says he can," assured Edward and Zach smiled smugly. He walked over to his mother and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at her baby boy and realized he was no longer the child she wished he was.

"Mom, we can't let the fire spread here. What about Josh, Jake and Leah? What about Charlie and Sue? You have to let me help. I can stop it." Rosalie took in a deep breath before grabbing her cell phone. She called Alice and spoke to her as she looked at Emmett and Edward.

"If anything happens to my son, I am holding the three of you responsible, understand that," whispered Rosalie, her voice laced with venom, and Emmett gulped. Edward threw his hands up in the air as her threatening thoughts attacked him.

"How am I held responsible," he asked and Rosalie smirked as she hung up on Alice before she could plead her case as well.

"You relayed the message," she explained as she walked out of the house with Edward marching after her.

"The saying is don't shoot the messenger, Rose," he defended and Zach rubbed his hands together excitedly as Emmett gave him a look.

"Nothing stupid or reckless alright, and if it is too much to handle then we all get out of dodge, got me," asked Emmett in a fatherly tone and Zach nodded happily. Josh looked at him curiously.

"What are you gonna do," asked Josh and Zach chuckled.

"I'm about to contain a fire in my hands J," explained Zach. Josh thought for a moment before grinning from ear to ear.

"Cool," he shouted and bumped fists with Zach. He watched from the window in awe as Zach sped away from the house with the rest of his family and Leah shook her head with a smile.

"That's your son," she teased Jacob and Jacob ruffled Josh's hair, knowing his son was amazed by his friend. Seth pouted, but Kaya gave him a tender kiss.

"You know they are right. It is safer for you here," she assured and Seth slowly nodded.

"Yea, you're right. I like roasted marshmallows, not hot dogs," he chuckled and Josh burst with laughter. "See, he likes my jokes!"

"And what does that say about you," giggled Kaya as Seth smiled at his nephew.

The smoke was thick in the air and the stench of burnt forest was suffocating. Zach held his breath as he felt the heat coming closer. Rosalie and Emmett were right beside him and Edward nodded at Zach.

"Take care of the fire and we'll go after the nomads," instructed Edward. He left with Bella, Nahuel, and Renesmee to search for the vampires responsible for the fire. Rosalie could hear the helicopters miles away trying to douse the fire from the edges. It roared to life and spewed over the trees. The sounds of wildlife fleeing the area and heading north filled their ears and Zach concentrated on the fire as he flexed his hands. Emmett placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Focus on the fire and don't worry about holding back. I know we always tell you to be careful, but this is the one time I am telling you to let go. Do your worst son," encouraged Emmett and Zach smiled as he nodded. He could feel the force field flickering in his hands. When he was younger, it would lash out in a wave of energy, but time made him stronger and gave him more control. He pulsed with the energy until it boomed from his hands. It gained height and width until it found the edge of the fire. The flames attacked the force field, but Zach contained them. The fire no longer spread, but still seared everything it already reached. He could feel the next wave of energy building from his chest. It caused him to shake and a growl to rumble from within. It was the biggest force field he ever created and it made him feel overwhelmed, but powerful at the same time. With one deep breath, he focused all his energy into a boom of force.

"Bad," he shouted and the field pulsed forward in a rapid fire of motion. The fire was extinguished in a wave of force that left him exhausted and he crumbled to his knees as he watched the fire blown out. The smoke was blown away with it and all that was left was the rain, clouds, and path of destruction left behind from the flames. Rosalie kneeled down in front of her son and stroked his soft curls.

"Are you okay," she asked in concern and he nodded.

"I did it," he chuckled. She kissed his forehead and winked at him.

"You're a hero, yet again," she praised and he gave her a big hug. Emmett hugged them both as he laughed. Edward, Bella, Renesmee, and Nahuel appeared beside them and Edward ruffled his nephew's hair.

"Good job. Unfortunately, we weren't able to catch the nomads. They were too far ahead, but one was still in the area, the one who started the fire. I read his thoughts, but he was too fast for us. He was a newborn and his mind was consumed with the flames. It was like he didn't want it to happen though. That was all I could decipher. His mind was overwhelmed with thoughts of the fire," explained Edward and Bella nodded.

"The Volturi are on their way. They were keeping an eye on the situation in Tacoma, but didn't have enough proof before today that it was a vampire involved. Alexander said he will be in touch again soon," added Bella and they each looked at the burnt forest around them. Twenty five miles of forest was destroyed and that was only a small amount of the damage that could have been done. The newborn responsible was powerful, dangerous, and completely out of control.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cullen Island was far away from the damage done to the forest, but the residents of the island were affected nonetheless. The Denalis arrived moments after the rest of the Cullens returned to the island and everyone was informed about the fire. The house was full of concerned vampires and a werewolf who wanted the threat to be far away from his people. Seth paced back and forth in the living room as he thought of the newborn. The rest of the Cullens and Denalis were lost in their own thoughts on the subject.

"We have to stop this monster," declared Seth through gritted teeth and Garrett frowned.

"Monster, look Seth I am not happy about the fire either, but you heard what Edward said. Maybe the newborn didn't want for it to happen either," reasoned Garrett, but Seth scoffed.

"The thing is a pyromaniac and did you hear about the killings in Tacoma? That thing is going around killing innocent people," argued Seth.

"Well sorry to burst the happy bubble we have all created, but most vampires kill humans Seth. It is our natural instinct, so let's not be so quick to judge based on that notion alone," said Garrett and Seth glared at him.

"How can you say that," he asked and Jasper stepped in, sending them each a wave of calm.

"Because some of us didn't know there was another way to survive and we went with our instincts. If that makes us killers, then so be it," said Jasper and Alice laced her fingers with her mate's as he looked away. Seth sighed.

"It might be in your natural instinct, but my natural instinct is to protect the humans that are being slaughtered. If that makes me judgmental, then so be it," defended Seth and Eleazar glanced at Carlisle across the room. Carlisle nodded for him to speak up.

"This is not the time to speak of differences amongst ourselves. We all know the natural instincts of vampires and that we have learned another way. There are two dangers involved with this newborn. One, he is killing conspicuously and that is bad enough. I have no qualms about him following his natural instincts, but he is making a mess of things. The bigger issue is that he is a fire starter," announced Eleazar and Edward slowly nodded.

"So you have encountered one before," said Edward and Eleazar tapped his chin.

"Years ago, when I was still a young vampire myself, there was one and he was truly a monster. Benjamin is the first vampire that I have met who is able to manipulate the elements in such a way, but fire starters are different. It occurred in Italy. Caius was petrified of such a threat. The stories preceded the vampire, how he annihilated whole villages and destroyed as if he fed off of the destruction. The fire came from his eyes and once it was started, it was next to impossible to stop. We had to kill it to end the turmoil, but the damage was done. We…" Alice gasped and Jasper caught her in his arms as she crumbled. Edward winced as he held his temple.

"Too many visions," he grunted out and Bella immediately shielded his mind. He sighed in relief as his mind was free of the blurs of visions, but Alice was left to endure it. Jasper held her hand and it suddenly stopped seconds later, much to all of their relief. He placed her in his lap and she rubbed her temples as she tried to decipher what happened.

"It has never been that extreme before. It was like too many visions were rushing in at once. There are so many paths and too many people involved. With Bella, I could decipher what was happening even though the visions of when she first came into our lives were overwhelming, but there are far too many vampires that will be affected and who need to decide this time. Everything was a blur of possibilities, but nothing made sense." Edward sat beside his sister.

"Are you alright," he asked and she nodded.

"It is not me I am worried about. It is the newborn. The visions were about him," she revealed.

"Why would you have visions about a pyromaniac," asked Seth.

"Because our paths will cross soon," she explained. Eleazar's dread pulsed through Jasper and he scooted closer to his mate as he looked at Eleazar.

"What will we need to do? You obviously think the newborn is a threat."

"We must eliminate the problem. The last vampire to have such ability killed thousands before being stopped and if this one is a newborn like Edward said, then we must act fast," warned Eleazar and Alice ran over to the house phone. She grabbed it and tossed it to Carlisle.

"The Volturi are already on it," she said as Carlisle caught the phone. It rang a second later and Carlisle answered. He began to speak with Alexander while Alice filled in the others.

"Alexander and Lena will need a passport of sorts. They want to ambush the newborn by coming from the west, which would mean they would need permission to pass through La Push first to get to the forest. They want permission from the wolves." Seth ran a hand through his shoulder length hair.

"We would have to talk to the Elders. My mom would be okay with it, but Billy and Old Quil are another story," said Seth and Carlisle pinched the bridge of his nose as he hung up the phone.

"I told Alexander to wait for my call. There has to be another option," said Carlisle and Edward walked over to his father.

"The newborn did not mean to do it. It wasn't supposed to get so out of hand. He was not pleased with the fire. He was not in his right mind or in control."

"Fire starters never are in control. That is the problem. Fire is all they think about. It consumes them. The newborn must be stopped," urged Eleazar and Carmen rubbed soothing circles on her mate's back sensing his despair. Tanya and Kate glanced at each other, then their mates, before nodding, but Esme shook her head.

"I am tired of killing and there must be a way to help the newborn. There is still a chance for it to redeem itself. I think we should go see for ourselves if it is truly a lost cause," suggested Esme. Zach pumped his fist and Rosalie vehemently shook her head.

"Zach, no, you have done enough and there is no need for all of us to go," said Rosalie. Kate and Garrett immediately began whispering to each other before she nodded.

"Garrett and I will go in the place of Rose, Emmett, and Zach," offered Kate and Zach began to pout. Tanya whispered to Benjamin and he nodded as well.

"Benjamin and I will go too," announced Tanya and Benjamin smiled.

"Maybe I can counteract his power. He can create the fire, but I can manipulate it. I am sorry I wasn't able to help with the forest fire, but I can help now," he explained and Seth smiled at him.

"Don't worry. Zach had it covered. We should all head to La Push and explain what is happening. That is the only way the Elders will let Alexander pass, golden eyes or not," said Seth and Zach gave his mother a pleading pout. She huffed, but conceded.

"Em, Zach, and I will go spend time with Leah, Jacob and Josh in the meantime. That should keep Zach out of trouble." Zach kissed his mother's cheek before running upstairs to change. Eleazar slipped his hand into Carmen's and led her to the door.

"We must all go now and act at once," he announced and Jasper sensed his panic.

"Why are you so afraid of this newborn Eleazar? We have handled battles before," asked Jasper.

"The only creature I ever saw come close to instilling the fear in vampires that immortal children did was a fire starter. Several guards were killed in the process of destroying it, vampires I knew. The flames engulfed them and while they did not kill them, it was enough to distract them while that monster tore them apart. It was utter chaos and I remember it well. No army from the South will ever compare. It must be stopped before it is too late." Eleazar left the house and Carmen went to comfort her mate as Alice tried to decipher the visions swirling in her mind.

Seth contacted his mother about the meeting and Charlie drove her down to the reservation that night. The rain had ceased, but the moon was hidden behind the thick clouds. When the two of them arrived in front of Sam's house, Emily and Sam were outside by the fire pit enjoying the warmth it emitted. Sam greeted them both with a bow of his head and Sue pulled Charlie toward the house. He quickly stopped her.

"I shouldn't be here," he said hesitantly, but she shook her head.

"Of course you should. This affects all of us. You are my husband."

"Billy will be in here too right," asked Charlie.

"You two are fine. You have been for years."

"We have never been the same. Look Sue, I am not going to act like Billy is happy seeing us together."

"He accepts….."

"I just would feel better staying out here. Billy and I have a very fragile relationship and have since you and I got married. I don't want to add to that. I just wanted to make sure you got here safe. You are a horrible driver." She playfully nudged him as he chuckled and Sam and Emily walked over to them with welcoming smiles.

"Everything alright," asked Sam and Sue nodded.

"Yes, just some tension from the past," she explained. At that moment, Jacob and Leah pulled into the driveway and Sam gave an amused smile as he saw Leah get out of the truck with Jacob.

"I understand completely. I just hope it doesn't affect the tribe or the Elders," said Sam and Jacob frowned as he heard the last part of the conversation.

"What's up," he asked and Emily cleared her throat.

"I am going to set out some warm muffins in case any of you get hungry." She disappeared into the house and Leah slowly nodded.

"We must be talking about our past if Emily is bowing out. She has never been comfortable discussing it," noticed Leah.

"Not our past, in fact, I am proud to say that we have overcome such things. This one involves your dad Jake," confessed Sam and Jacob's jaw dropped.

"Wait, you mean, my dad and…" He glanced at Sue and Charlie who stood by awkwardly and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Leah shuddered.

"That is disgusting," she mumbled and Sue gave her a stern look. "What, you are my mother."

"And a married woman, this should not even be an issue anymore. I was just trying to explain that to Charlie. He should be allowed to attend the meeting and Billy will be fine with it." Jacob and Leah glanced at each other before shaking their heads.

"No he won't," they said in unison. Sue scoffed.

"Why not?"

"Principle," they both said again and Sam chuckled.

"You two are so cute when you do that," he teased and Jacob rolled his eyes at Sam as the man walked away.

"Mom, I really…really, don't want details, but whatever happened between the three of you changed things and even if things are better now, they can never be the same. You can't expect for Billy to be okay with Charlie being at a meeting for the Elders," explained Leah and Charlie nodded.

"I agree with my stepdaughter," said Charlie and Sue crossed her arms.

"But he is my husband and this affects him too." Jacob slowly nodded.

"I will talk to my dad about it later. I never realized things were still tense between the three of you…..mainly because I didn't want to think about it. Charlie and my dad have been best friends for so long that I never thought anything could come between them."

"Didn't something come between you and Bella and something come between Emily and Leah," asked Charlie and Leah and Jacob were quiet. "I know all of you are over your issues, but it doesn't change what has happened and you all accepted that. Billy made his choice. He can't let go."

"There is nothing to let go of. It was my decision to make and I did," argued Sue, but Leah shook her head.

"That is nice and logical, but it doesn't help a broken heart mom. If Billy feels like Charlie betrayed him….even if he didn't, it will take time to heal and I know what that feels like. You don't know how many years passed before I could even look at Sam or Emily."

"My situation with Edward and Bella changed because I imprinted, but I still don't like Nahuel. It is not because I want Renesmee or because I am not happy, it is the way things are. I don't like him and he doesn't like me. That is the relationship we have. Sometimes, there is just too much tension and while we are civil, we could never be friends." Leah nodded in agreement and Charlie waved them off.

"Let's stop talking about this. There are bigger fish to fry and I am more than happy to stay out here by the fire until the meeting is over," he explained. Sue kissed him tenderly and Leah covered her eyes as Jacob laughed.

"They are doing that thing that they do," she mumbled and Jacob wrapped his wife in his arms as Sue leaned her forehead against Charlie's. Several luxury cars rolled into the driveway, announcing the arrival of the vampires and Seth. Seth hopped out of his BMW with Kaya and groaned at Sue and Charlie's affection toward one another.

"That is gross. Aren't there places for old people to do that where their kids don't have to see it," he asked and Charlie blushed as Bella giggled.

"I think it is cute," she teased her father and Charlie blushed even more.

"Big sis, Rose, Em, and Z are headed to your place right now," said Seth and Leah nodded.

"Claire is watching Josh, but we will head over there. Good luck with….all of this," she giggled as she kissed her mother's cheek and Sue rolled her eyes. Jacob just smiled in amusement as they left and Edward hid his smile as he read their minds. Seth looked at them all curiously as he approached his mother.

"What is going on," he asked and Bella looked at her father suspiciously as she stood by Seth. Sue and Charlie shared a look while Bella and Seth waited for their parents to speak up.

"There has been some….tension ever since Charlie and I got married. Billy and Charlie were both there for me after Harry died, but I only had feelings for Charlie." Seth slowly nodded.

"And," he asked and Bella looked at Charlie with a sly smile. He groaned and spoke up.

"Billy was quite upset with me because of it and things have not been the same since," finished Charlie. Seth cringed.

"Wait, I mean, what, well I mean I knew that Billy…..ew…I mean yea at one point…."

"Seth, spit it out," laughed Bella and Seth gulped.

"My mom is in a love triangle. I don't know how to feel about that," he confessed with pure disgust on his face. Bella could not control her laughter and Charlie sighed.

"I am glad this amuses you Bells," he said as he shook his head and Bella cleared her throat to stop her laughter.

"I'm sorry. It's just kind of funny," she defended and Seth shuddered.

"Old people should not be allowed to have love triangles," he stated and Sue scoffed. Edward wrapped his arm around his wife and she buried her face into the crook of his neck to muffle her laughs. He tried to hide his smile as he spoke.

"Charlie, I understand your concern, but you need to be there to explain to the Elders how it has affected people all over Wash…" He burst with laughter and Charlie threw up his hands as Edward tried to stop. "I'm sorry. Your daughter unblocked her mind for me. That was cruel timing, love."

"I am glad we entertain the two of you. I will go in until I feel like I am not welcomed anymore," said Charlie and Bella could only nod as she silently laughed. Seth's face was still full of disgust and Edward glanced back at the rest of the family.

"Let's go inside," he announced and they filed into Sam's house. Sam was the only member of the pack in attendance and he sat in a chair to the side with Emily while Old Quil sat on the couch. Billy was beside the couch in his wheelchair, watching the news, and Sue sat beside Old Quil. There was a spot beside her on the couch and she glanced at Charlie, but he shook his head. He leaned against the wall by the couch and the rest of the guests found places to stand or sit in the living room. Billy looked around at all the newcomers and glared when he saw Charlie.

"Why is an outsider at this meeting? It is only for Cullens, their guests, wolves, and elders. A pale face has no business here," stated Billy and Sue crossed her arms.

"Charlie is welcomed here," she said, but Billy shook his head.

"Just because you married a pale face doesn't mean he is welcomed at a tribal meeting," said Billy and Seth's eyes widened when he noticed his mother's look.

"This is bad…..very bad," whispered Seth to Bella and Bella stepped forward.

"Charlie is my father and should be considered part of our guests. Plus, he is the one who first spoke to us about the threat." Charlie sighed.

"I should just…."

"You're staying," interrupted Sue and Charlie slowly sat down beside her as Billy looked away. Old Quil looked back and forth between Billy and Sue before clearing his throat.

"Alright then, Charlie, please speak. What do you know? Are other humans aware of the threat as well," asked Old Quil.

"I know a detective in Tacoma and the department has been investigating what they are calling arson and a serial killer on the loose. A policeman saw the vampire disappear, but thought it was a ghost. Luckily, he took a spill before that so no one believes him anyways."

"Don't your kind have rules about such chaos," asked Old Quil and Sue nodded at Carlisle.

"Please speak up. Carlisle has a request," said Sue and Carlisle stepped forward.

"The Volturi would like to eliminate the problem and can do so if they are allowed to quickly pass through your territory to get to Tacoma."

"Absolutely not," shouted Billy and Old Quil sighed as Sue glared at Billy. Jasper tried to send out waves of calm to the group, but the tension had been boiling before he even arrived. He knew dictating their moods would not help in the long run.

"Doing so will help save lives and you want to refuse them," she questioned.

"I agree with Sue, Billy," said Old Quil.

"Can you not see what they are doing? Sue is on their side now and not thinking about the best interest of the tribe. Her loyalties are with them, not Quileutes!" Sue clenched her jaw in anger and Seth hid behind Bella and his mate.

"This is so bad," he whispered. Charlie noticed his wife's mood as well and tried to rub soothing circles on her hand, but she stood up. He did as well and tried to stand between Sue and Billy, but one look was all he needed.

"Step aside dear," she said in an eerily calm tone and he did as he was told. Seth pulled Kaya closer to him.

"This is so bad," he whispered again.

"Shut up Seth, it will be fine," whispered Bella and he scoffed.

"Who do you think Leah got her mean streak from," he whispered and Bella looked to Edward for confirmation. Edward gave a solemn nod and Bella gulped as she stepped closer to him. The rest of the vampires stood by awkwardly as the tension boiled over. Sue approached Billy with narrowed eyes and hands on her hips.

"I have sacrificed plenty for this tribe Billy Black. I have experienced pain and loss. I had to take Harry's place as an Elder after he died and watch my children sacrifice their lives to do what was right. You have no right to question my loyalty!"

"You turned your back on this tribe long ago. You don't even live on the reservation!"

"Oh, let's get to the actual problem shall we?" Carlisle and the others headed for the door.

"Maybe we should come back….." Sue interrupted Carlisle.

"No, stay, this won't take long and then maybe we can get back to the real reason we are here. We are here to save innocent lives Billy, but you have personal issues with me. I am sorry that you were hurt, but I will never apologize for loving Charlie. You accuse me of turning my back, but you have turned your back on your friend and are using your power in the tribe to show your bitterness toward me. I will not allow it anymore and you are out of line. Cullens, the tribe will allow the Volturi on our land as long as they do not hunt while on it." Billy tried to speak, but she glared at him, effectively stopping him. "I have spoken as an Elder. Old Quil, do you agree?"

"Yes ma'am," replied Old Quil, who was ready to get out of dodge.

"Good, then it is settled," she announced. No one said a word and Seth inched toward the door with Kaya by his side.

"Um, okay, thanks mom, we're going to…" He did not finish his sentence as he ran out of the house and the vampires followed in an attempt to escape the tension. Old Quil, Sam, and Emily were right behind them and Sam sighed in relief when they were outside.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I am sorry I had to see it as well. Cullens, what is the next step," asked Sam and Jasper stepped forward.

"The guards are waiting in Russia for the all clear. We're going to run some surveillance to make sure the nomads stay away from the towns," informed Jasper and Sam looked out at the ocean.

"How long will it take for the guards to arrive," asked Sam.

"About an hour, they are being notified now," answered Carlisle and the others dispersed into the forest to check the area.

Like clockwork, an hour later, Edward, Jasper, Alice, and Bella waited on the shore for Alexander and Lena. Sam sat on a rock in the distance, watching with uneasiness as the two guards emerged from the waves and glided onto the beach. Sam gulped and Jasper sensed his fear.

"Why is Sam concerned? He was okay earlier," whispered Jasper and Edward gave a small smile.

"He realizes now how easily the tribe could be attacked from the water. It never dawned on him before that the wolves' inability to swim leaves them vulnerable," answered Edward. Alexander and Lena gave bows to them and smiled in greeting.

"Cullens, it is a pleasure as usual. May we speak to the alpha," asked Alexander and Edward motioned for Sam to come over. Sam hesitantly made his way over to the group of vampires and stiffened when Lena swiftly kissed each of his cheeks.

"Thank you for giving us permission to pass through. It will make things much easier. I am Lena and we have not been formally introduced before." Sam just nodded in response and the others appeared from the forest with Eleazar leading the way. He shook hands with Alexander and kissed Lena's hand out of respect. Seth waved at them before noticing Sam's stunned expression.

"Oh hey Sam, you finally met Lena huh? She's a trained assassin, amazing to see in action," chuckled Seth, but Edward tapped his shoulder.

"You aren't helping," he whispered and Seth just shrugged. Sam snapped out of his daze.

"So, where exactly did you two appear from," asked Sam and Alexander smiled kindly at him.

"Kamchatka Krai," replied Alexander and Seth frowned.

"You are going to have to speak English. You are back in America now," explained Seth and Lena laughed.

"It is in Russia, Seth," she explained and Kaya giggled at her mate.

"Forgive him, he always gets excited and anxious before occasions like this," said Kaya and Seth nuzzled her neck with a smile in response.

"Are you prepared for the threat," asked Eleazar and Alexander nodded.

"I will track the newborn and Lena will destroy him."

"Lena will not be enough," said Eleazar and she huffed in annoyance.

"I doubt you are capable of knowing what I can and cannot do Eleazar." He put up his hands in defense.

"I mean no disrespect. I would be more than happy to see you kill the newborn, but the real question is if you can stop fire?" Benjamin smiled.

"I can," he intervened, but Carlisle interrupted them all.

"We will all go, but there will be a stipulation. When we find the newborn, we must first offer an alternative before killing it. If the newborn agrees, we must let him live."

"But Carlisle….." Started Eleazar, but Esme stepped in.

"We are not going to mercilessly kill. We are better than that," said Esme and Eleazar looked down.

"Yes, but is the newborn," he challenged before walking away and Carmen sighed.

"He is just concerned for our safety. He is the only one of us who has seen a fire starter up close before," explained Carmen and Esme nodded.

"I know, but every creature deserves a chance to redeem itself and this newborn does not deserve to pay for something another did years before him," said Esme. The two women nodded in agreement and Carmen went to speak with her mate. Alexander looked around at the large group.

"Is everyone coming on this hunt? I do not think it will be necessary," said Alexander and Edward looked at his wife and daughter. Bella let down her shield so Edward could read her thoughts and he agreed.

"Bella and I will stay in Forks along with Renesmee and Nahuel. Seth, sorry but I have my orders and I do not feel like being threatened by my sister or Sue again. You and Kaya should stay as well," said Edward and Seth's jaw dropped in shock.

"They conspired against me," he accused and Edward winked at him.

"They are just looking out for your best interest and your mate's."

"But when did this happen," asked Seth and Edward tapped his temple.

"Rosalie before we left the island and Sue before we walked into the meeting."

"I can't have any fun around here," grumbled Seth as he marched off and Kaya shook her head in amusement at her mate while Renesmee quirked an eyebrow at her parents.

"So I do not get a say in this," asked Renesmee and Bella kissed her daughter's forehead lovingly.

"Of course you do, you can say whatever you want as long as you stay here," informed Bella with a sweet smile. Before Renesmee could sound off, Nahuel wrapped his arms around his mate's waist.

"It will be better here. Besides, if we want some excitement, we can always be on the lookout for Billy, Sue and Charlie," teased Nahuel and Renesmee giggled as he kissed her neck. The others said their goodbyes and headed to Tacoma while Bella, Edward, Renesmee, and Nahuel headed to Forks.

At the Black residence, Zach and Josh were watching a cartoon together on the couch in the living room, which intrigued Zach. He did not watch many cartoons and Josh was explaining who the characters were. Emmett and Jacob were watching their sons interact as they played chess in the room adjacent to the living room. Jacob smiled at his son before moving a chess piece.

"You know, it is kind of cool how comfortable they are together," said Jacob.

"Yea, even when Josh becomes a wolf, Zach is so used to Seth that he has no reason to see Josh as a threat. I remember when Zach first saw Seth in wolf form. That was hilarious. Seth went flying. My son is awesome."

"I wonder what Josh will do when he is a wolf."

"He already has an advantage. You are an alpha and Leah is a beta. He already has an alliance with vampires. The kid has it made." Jacob smiled proudly.

"My kid is definitely going to kick some butt someday," said Jacob and Emmett smirked.

"Mine already does. Face it the next generation is already fierce." Seth jogged into the room and Kaya went to find Leah and Rosalie who were outside on the back porch talking. Seth could not hide his smile and Emmett beamed in anticipation.

"What did I miss," he asked and Seth chuckled.

"My mom flipped out on Billy. It was hilarious. Jake, you need to talk to your dad."

"I don't know what to say to him."

"Wait, what is going on and why did Sue flip out," asked Emmett and Jacob groaned as Seth explained the tension between Billy, Charlie and Sue. Emmett's booming laugh echoed through the house and Jacob shook his head as Seth grinned. Emmett was highly amused.

"Aw Jacob, I am so sorry for ragging on you all these years. You couldn't help it. Losing in love triangles is apparently genetic," taunted Emmett and Jacob gritted his teeth.

"Emmett, we were finally getting along. Don't ruin it," warned Jacob, but Emmett could not stop laughing.

"One and two," bellowed Emmett and Jacob grumbled under his breath as Seth chuckled.

"Thanks for telling him Seth," said Jacob and Seth just shrugged. He knew Emmett was not finished.

"Hey Jake, when you see your dad again, send my condolences, but really Billy should know better. Vampires always beat out wolves in these things."

"Charlie is not a vampire Emmett and…" Emmett interrupted Jacob.

"He is the father of one and the grandfather of one, duh!" Leah, Rosalie and Kaya walked in just in time to see Jacob leaving. He kissed Leah and sighed.

"I should go check on my dad to make sure he is okay. I'll be back soon."

"Be careful, with nomads lurking around Washington, keep an eye out. I love you."

"I love you too," said Jacob before leaving the house and Leah rolled her eyes at Emmett who could not stop laughing.

"Why do you always have to bring up the past and tease him," asked Leah and Emmett scoffed.

"I did not bring it up. Seth did and besides it is hilarious. Aw those were good times…..good times," replied Emmett as he reminisced about the years past. Seth winked at his mate and nodded toward the backyard.

"How about we go for a walk," suggested Seth and Kaya kissed his cheek as they left the house together. Emmett smirked.

"Walk, yea right. Try not to be too loud. There are children around," called Emmett and Rosalie nudged him.

"Leave them alone. Josh needs to get some sleep, so let's get Zach and go for a hunt. If we stay in the northern part of the forest we should be fine." Zach carried a sleeping Josh into the room. Josh's head was on Zach's shoulder and Zach shrugged as he handed the five year old over to Leah.

"He fell asleep five minutes ago," he explained and Leah smiled at her son.

"He is worn out. Be safe you three. We are heading to bed."

"We'll be close by to make sure nothing goes wrong," assured Rosalie and Leah nodded at her before taking Josh to his room. Emmett nudged his son with a smile.

"Bet I can get a kill before you can," said Emmett and Zach scoffed.

"You're on dad…..hey no fair!" Emmett sprinted out the house to get a head start, but Zach was hot on his trail. Rosalie giggled at the two of them and sighed happily. She loved her boys.

The Denalis and rest of the Cullens searched strategically through the forest as they roamed near the burnt region. Alexander picked up a scent and turned to the others.

"He has returned and there is another here. I can sense them," whispered Alexander and everyone spread out to look through the scorched wasteland of forest. Alice closed her eyes to try to find the newborn. With so many visions and decisions being made constantly, it was hard for her to keep track, but she knew the newborn was close. Everyone stayed close together and Jasper glanced over at Eleazar, sensing his anxiety.

"Why do you feel threatened by someone you haven't even met? For all we know, this newborn could mean well enough," said Jasper and Eleazar smirked.

"Why are you so quick to defend someone you don't know? I know what a fire starter is, a killer and destroyer of all they touch."

"At one time in my life, that is what people would have called me. People change Eleazar. I did." Eleazar said nothing, but Lena's hurried footsteps caught their attention.

"I see them," she shouted out as she raced toward two dark figures in the distance. They already were running away from the group and everyone started in hot pursuit of the nomads. Alice gasped and suddenly stopped as a vision consumed her and Jasper stayed behind to protect his mate. The others sprinted on and Garrett's senses perked up as a familiar scent wafted past him. His nostrils flared as the scent passed him again and his eyes widened in recognition. He pushed faster, trying to catch up with the nomads. The newborn was faster than his companion and the two agreed to split up into different directions. The newborn headed south with most of the vampires following as speedily as possible, but Garrett followed the other nomad north.

"Garrett," called Kate, but he continued his chase. His eyes were trained on the back of the long blonde hair of the nomad and her scent filled his senses again. He knew who she was. If her scent was not enough, then her hair and the outline of her body were.

"Micah," he screamed and as if being summoned, the nomad stopped. She spun around to look at him and their eyes locked. Garrett was stunned speechless as she smiled at him and her burgundy eyes twinkled with delight. He searched for the words to say, but Kate's distant footsteps alerted him that there was no time for them.

"Run, hurry," he whispered and she gave a quick nod before disappearing into the brush nearby. Seconds later, Kate appeared and she pulled her mate to her.

"What were you thinking? You didn't even wait for me," she scolded and he gave a small smile.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to lose her, but she got away anyways," he lied and she could sense it. Before she could question him, he kissed her passionately and gave her a wink.

"Come on, let's go find the others," he urged and she slowly nodded as she followed him back the way they came.

The scents of the others led them to a small clearing where the group was huddled together discussing their next move. Kate walked over to them, but Garrett stayed behind as Alice's eyes locked on his. He looked away as Kate spoke.

"We lost the other one. I'm guessing the newborn speed was too much to overcome as well," she asked and Alice nodded as her eyes never left Garrett.

"Yes, but no worries. I have had a vision." Garrett gulped as she tapped her chin and began to think.

"What did you see Alice," asked Jasper and she suddenly giggled. The others looked at her with concern and she sighed happily.

"We need to rethink things. Some decisions have finally been made and nothing is what it seems. The newborn is not the threat we thought he was."

"I don't believe that," said Eleazar and Alice nodded.

"Don't get me wrong. He is quite dangerous if not taught, but he can be taught. Keegan will learn to control his power. It will be difficult, but it can be done."

"How," asked Esme.

"Don't worry Esme, all will be figured out soon. Let's head back to town." Alice glanced back at Garrett before running toward Forks with Jasper. Garrett took in a deep breath and tried to put on a brave smile knowing that his past was coming back to haunt him.

Renesmee and Nahuel were sitting on the porch of Charlie and Sue's house when Jacob pulled up in his truck. Nahuel rolled his eyes, but Renesmee beamed with happiness as Jacob approached them.

"Hey Jake," she giggled and he held his arms out to her. She jumped into them and he chuckled as he hugged her. Nahuel stood up and walked toward the door.

"I am guessing you are here to speak with everyone," said Nahuel, but Jacob shook his head.

"Actually I just came back from my dad's and I wanted to see Renesmee before heading home. It has been a while since I have seen my imprint." Nahuel smirked.

"Well my mate and I have been busy," replied Nahuel and Renesmee rolled her eyes at both of them.

"Nahuel, we'll just be out front. Come on Jake, let's catch up." She held her hand out to him and Jacob smiled smugly at Nahuel before taking her hand. Nahuel shook his head, but left them alone outside.

"You know you two are going to have to stop this. An eternity of pettiness is not very intriguing for me. I don't understand why you two can't let the past be the past," said Renesmee as they walked at a slow, human pace down the sidewalk together.

"Yea well, it is what it is."

"It doesn't have to be. You two don't have to hate each other. You already have something in common. You both love me."

"You are so much like your mother, always trying to make things right even if it is obvious it is meant to be left alone."

"Well she was right wasn't she? You and my dad get along now and so can you and Nahuel."

"I didn't imprint on your mother." She stopped to look at him suspiciously.

"Jake, what is going on? Please don't try to make us more again. Leah would kill you and I would help her." He chuckled.

"Renesmee, chill out, trust me I love Leah. She knows that and I love our family. It doesn't change that you are my imprint and I will always look out for you."

"So this is your way of checking up on me and Nahuel to make sure I am happy?"

"Precisely, now be honest, do I have to run the leech out of town kicking and screaming? Are you annoyed by him yet? Is his stuck up ways finally getting to you because if so I would be more than happy to deal with him?" She giggled and sat down on the curb. He joined her as she giggled again.

"I can't believe this. You are acting like Charlie now."

"Well, I know I wanted to be more years ago, but I don't think you understand what an imprint really is. Sure, it can be romantic, but the wolf will be whatever their imprint needs them to be, a brother, a friend, a protector…."

"A dad," she teased.

"Oh you already have one of those and he can be annoying at times too, way too noble. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he gets along with Nahuel."

"Same old Jake, making fun of my dad and Nahuel, well if you get to be protective then so do I. How is everything going? Is your dad alright?"

"I went to talk to him about Sue and Charlie."

"How did that go?"

"About as well as I expected, I am my father's son after all, and I got my stubbornness from him. I just feel bad for him. He is so lonely. I try to have dinner with him so Josh can spend time with his grandfather and we even go fishing sometimes but he needs his friend. I guess I never wanted to see how lonely he has been all these years. I finally found happiness and I wasn't ready to leave that bubble you know? Does that make me selfish?"

"It makes you human. Billy is an adult and he has to deal with this in his own way. He may never be as close to my grandpa as he was before. Maybe it is too hard for him to spend time with his friend knowing that his friend is married to the woman he fell in love with too."

"So you can understand that, but not my relationship with Nahuel?"

"Can you even call it a relationship?" He scoffed.

"Sure it is. We are civil….most of the time. We only argue sometimes and we are on a first name basis, I call that a relationship. We understand each other and he knows that if he ever hurt you, I would kill him. I would have no choice in the matter really."

"Just try a bit harder to be civil. I am sure Leah would appreciate it too. Each time the two of you bicker and get heated, it just reminds us all of the past."

"Point taken and speaking of my wife, I should get back to her, come on." He helped her up and they walked back to the house. The others, except for Rosalie, Emmett and Zach, had just arrived on the porch and Alice skipped into the house explaining that there was much to talk about. Garrett stayed outside trying to recite sonnets, but when Edward calmly walked outside, he knew it was too late. Edward raised an eyebrow at him and nodded toward the forest.

_What about Kate?_

"Busy with the others," whispered Edward, so lowly that only Garrett could hear the response to his thought. Garrett gave a curt nod and followed Edward into the forest. Once they knew they were out of hearing distance, Edward spoke up.

"I know what Alice saw. You need to tell Kate the truth and the others as well."

"It is not a big deal," said Garrett as he tried to walk past Edward, but Edward grabbed his arm to stop him.

"You are putting the family in danger by not coming clean." Garrett jerked away from him.

"Hey, I don't know anything about that newborn. He has nothing to do with my past."

"But you know Micah and she does." Garrett sighed in defeat and looked away.

"Fine, just read my mind and get it over with." He stopped reciting sonnets. Instead, he thought about his past, his concerns, and everything he knew about the woman in the forest. Edward shook his head.

"Anything else you are hiding?"

"No."

"You need to tell everyone the truth and soon because right now we are hunting them both. You have to tell the truth." Garrett slowly nodded and Edward turned to leave. He took a step away, but then looked back at Garrett.

"Oh, and by the way, Kate is going to kill you." Edward sped back to the house and Garrett closed his eyes as he tried to collect his thoughts. There was much to tell his mate and the others as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The entire group gathered and after a quick discussion, headed for Cullen Island. By the time the ferries arrived back at the island, Garrett's anxiety was at an all time high. Jasper tried to send him waves of calm, but his racing mind would not give him peace. The look Jasper bestowed upon him was one of intrigue, not suspicion, and Garrett knew that he was on to him because of Alice. Once the ferries were docked and the cars were on land, Garrett could feel his nerves start to ease up. He was on the island, far away from Micah, and decided to try to figure out a way to tell his mate about the woman that played such a big role in changing his entire life. Kate laced her fingers with hers as they sat in the backseat of one of the Suburbans and he gave her a charming smile as he kissed the top of her head.

"Something is wrong, just tell me what it is," she whispered to him.

"I just…..Kate….." He could not find the words to say and she dropped his hand as he looked down.

"Whatever you are hiding from me better be worth it Garrett," she warned and he slowly nodded.

"I will tell you everything soon. I just…I need some time to think."

"Then go think."

"What," he asked, but instead of replying, she reached over him, opened the door, and pushed him out of the moving vehicle.

"Kate, what are you doing," asked Tanya in shock as Benjamin pressed on the brakes, but Kate glared at both of them.

"Keep driving," she ordered. Tanya and Benjamin glanced at each other and Tanya nodded for him to drive. Benjamin sighed, but continued the drive back to the main house. Garrett tumbled down a sloped path and into a tree. The shock of Kate's actions left him stunned as the tree toppled over and he rubbed his arm in surprise.

"She electrocuted me," he mumbled to himself and looked up when he heard Alice's giggle. She was perched on a tree branch above him and he groaned as he made it to his feet.

"Thanks for the warning. A simple, hey Garrett, your mate is going to shock you out of the car would have been nice!" She scoffed.

"Stop being so dramatic, you deserved it anyways. Hiding things from your mate is ridiculous and you know it."

"How much do you know Alice?" She tiptoed along the branch gracefully as she pretended to think.

"Enough," she teased and he narrowed his eyes.

"Stop playing me with damn…"

"Don't you take that tone with me Garrett. I am not the one who lied to everyone, including my mate, and if anything you should be thanking me."

"Thanking you?" She leapt from the tree and smiled sweetly as she landed in front of him.

"I am going to make it better. Now, run along and go do some thinking by the south shore."

"Alice, what…"

"You are already on thin ice with Kate. You don't want to add me to list. Go," she demanded and he huffed, but did as he was told. He sped across the island to the south shore and began to pace. It was an unnecessary action, but he found it comforting while his mind was in complete disarray. Facing Kate and the whole family was going to be hard enough, but knowing that Alice was up to something did nothing to calm him. Suddenly, he sensed a presence and he spun around in each direction to find the source of the disruption. The splashing of water caught his attention and he spun toward the waves to see Micah emerging. She had not changed much over the years. Her blonde hair was soaked from the swim, but beautiful nonetheless. She immediately began wrapping it into a ponytail as a smile crept onto her lips. Her burgundy eyes raked over him.

"I followed your scent. My how you have changed over the years Garrett," she said in her fluidly deep voice. He crossed his arms.

"What are you doing here?"

"What, no hug," she teased and he smirked.

"You are causing a lot of issues for me." She glided over to him as she scanned the island behind them.

"I'm sure I am. So the stories about the Cullens are true. They live like royalty and you have joined them. Your eyes give you away."

"Killing humans did nothing for my conscience."

"What about your appetite," she questioned. She stepped closer to him, but he moved away.

"Is this why you followed me here? You want to know about my diet?"

"The last time we were together, killing humans meant nothing to you."

"Yea well, I am different now." Her eyes scanned over him again and she slowly nodded.

"What is her name?"

"Kate, she is my mate," he revealed and she was silent as the words sunk in. She gave a curt nod.

"Then you cannot help me. You have too much to lose now." She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm.

"Is this about that newborn? Micah, what the hell are you doing with that thing? It is a killer!" She jerked away from him.

"His name is Keegan and he is nothing of the sort." She turned to leave again, but once again he grabbed her arm.

"You have to stay away from it. It is a danger to us all," he pleaded, but took a step back when a vampire burst from the water. It stood beside Micah with fiery red eyes that were locked on Garrett's hold on her arm.

"Let….her… go," growled the man and Garrett released Micah as she turned the vampire's face back to hers.

"Keegan, it is alright, stay calm," she soothed and Garrett watched them in shock. Keegan's jet black hair was shoulder length and he stood at six feet and two inches in height. His build was lean, but muscular, and while his eyes conveyed the power they held behind them, he was not intimidating in stature. Garrett was baffled by his eyes. They were not the blood red associated with newborns. The orange tint showed that he was different.

"Fire starter," whispered Garrett and Keegan chuckled darkly.

"You scared of me too," he challenged and Garrett smiled slyly.

"Oh I don't scare easily," he informed. The two men stood their ground and Micah positioned herself between them.

"Keegan, this is Garrett, the one I told you about."

"You mean the one that abandoned you," he spat and Garrett smirked.

"Don't speak about things you don't know boy," warned Garrett. Keegan took a step closer.

"I am not a boy. I was twenty six when I was turned by Micah."

"Merely a child," taunted Garrett and Keegan gritted his teeth.

"I am sure I could take you old man," Keegan taunted back and Micah giggled at the two of them.

"I knew you two would posture up to see which is better. I don't know why I always attract the egomaniacs," she teased.

"Don't you mean pyromaniac," asked Garrett. Keegan let out a low growl, but the sound of footsteps speeding toward them caught their attention. Micah and Keegan crouched defensively, but Garrett knew who was approaching. Alice, Jasper, Edward and Bella emerged from the forest and Alice's smile was bright.

"Now, now Garrett is that any way to talk to our guests," asked Alice.

"Alice, what….." Edward tried to speak up, but she waved him off.

"Pay no attention to him. I am Alice and you are welcomed here. I know you need our help. We should go back to the house," she suggested and Edward sighed, but slowly nodded. Garrett quickly shook his head. He stepped closer to Micah and whispered to her.

"You shouldn't be here, especially not with him. We can talk later."

"I need your help Garrett. You promised me a very long time ago that if I ever needed your help, you would be there. Has this coven changed you that much? Are you no longer a man of your word," asked Micah and he sighed, but slowly bowed his head in defeat. Bella glanced at her mate as Garrett, Micah and Keegan followed Jasper toward the house.

"You're right. Kate is going to kill him," agreed Bella as she followed the others. Edward gave Alice a stern look and she rolled her eyes.

"It will be fine Edward," assured Alice, but Edward shook his head.

"I know his thoughts, they are out of control and it has nothing to do with his age. Alice, this is not a good idea. You don't know how this will turn out. It could be a disaster…."

"Or a wonderful thing, if anyone could help him, it would be our family. He needs guidance Edward."

"I am not willing to risk the safety of my family for this newborn."

"Technically he won't be a newborn next week. His first year as a vampire is almost over which is why his speed is fading and…"

"Do not change the subject. I am not going to risk my wife, my daughter, or our family Alice. You better be sure you know what you are doing because every path you see is quite blurry now and you don't know what could happen."

"True, but our paths were meant to cross. I will make sure the right paths are taken."

"Not even you can guarantee that."

"I can try," she said nonchalantly as she raced home and he rolled his eyes before heading home as well.

By the time the seven of them arrived in front of the main house, the others were on the porch waiting for them. Kate was shaking with fury as she saw her mate walking beside the woman and Micah glanced at Garrett.

"Is she your mate," she asked and Garrett nodded as he looked at Kate.

"Yes, that is Kate."

"How wholesome," teased Micah and Garrett smirked.

"Trust me you do not want to mess with my mate." Kate stormed over to them and Garrett gulped. She touched his arm and immediately began sending short jolts of electricity into him.

"Ow!"

"How could you do this to me? Who is she? Damn it Garrett, answer me," she yelled and Edward pulled Garrett away from her.

"He is trying to Kate, but he cannot do that if you keep shocking him," reasoned Edward and Kate crossed her arms as she waited for her mate to answer her. He shook out his arm and sighed.

"This is Micah. She was my…..well….I don't know. Mentor I suppose," he said vaguely and Kate raised an eyebrow at him. Micah decided to save him from his mate.

"I found Garrett when he was a newborn and taught him how to be a vampire and to hunt," she explained.

"I guess you have a knack for finding newborns or did you actually change the hothead yourself," asked Garrett and Keegan growled at him. Alice glanced at Garrett.

"Insulting him does not help Garrett," she warned and Edward nodded.

"She is right. Keegan control your thoughts. Watch your temper or you will only make it worse," he warned.

"Make what worse," asked Bella and Edward pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The fire that he can start, Eleazar is right. It is all consuming for him," explained Edward and Bella glanced at her daughter before pulling Edward close.

"Then why is he on the island where he could harm our family," asked Bella and Alice stepped forward.

"He will be fine. We should all go inside to talk," suggested Alice and Garrett slowly nodded. He tried to touch Kate's hand, but she shocked him again. He growled in frustration and pulled his mate into his arms.

"Katrina, stop it," he demanded and she was taken back by his use of her full name. He rarely called her that. "I will explain everything to you, but you have to let me."

"Why should I let you explain this?"

"Because I am your mate and you love me as much as I love you. Let's talk with the family and then we will talk privately." She thought for a moment before giving a curt nod and marching inside. Micah giggled.

"She is feisty. I like that. It means she can keep you in line," teased Micah and Garrett rolled his eyes as they all walked inside the house. They filed into the spacious living room and Eleazar's eyes never left Keegan.

"The eyes give him away, bright orange and swirled with red just like fire. He is a danger and should not be on the island," warned Eleazar and Keegan crossed his arms. Jasper shook his head.

"We should give him a chance to prove himself and Alice agrees," informed Jasper and Alice winked at her mate.

"Yes, there is much to discuss. There are three very important decisions that need to be decided soon. Alexander and Lena are on their way. They ended their search for Keegan and are coming back here to speak with us about him. When they see Keegan, they are going to want to kill him."

"That is not going to happen," declared Carlisle and Esme nodded.

"We already had an agreement about offering an alternative life for him than the one he leads," added Esme.

"The other problem is the two brothers Micah and Keegan are running from. They will not stop until they find them and seek revenge for their brother's death. They lost your scents at the strait, but are very determined to keep looking for you," explained Alice and Edward nodded along to Micah's thoughts.

"Why don't you explain why Nolan and Nate are after you," suggested Edward and Micah looked at him curiously.

"So it is true, you are a mind reader and you must be the psychic. The Cullens are as powerful as the vampire world assumes," she asked and Edward nodded.

"Yes and we need to know what danger you brought here," said Edward.

"Nate and Nolan are two nomads from Tacoma. Keegan accidently stumbled into the territory and they did not take kindly to it. They tried to kill him even though he was willing to leave. They are cruel creatures. Keegan killed their brother, Nicholas, out of self defense. By the time Keegan and I met up again, they were tracking our scents. They have been hunting us ever since."

"They were trying to kill me. I didn't want to kill one of them, but I had no choice," defended Keegan.

"What about your other choices, like killing all of those people in Tacoma or starting that forest fire," argued Eleazar.

"Most of the kills the cops found were Nate and Nolan's. Micah taught me how to kill without bringing attention to myself."

"And killing humans is not a crime in our world," added Micah. "Our diet is not to be judged. The Cullen lifestyle is the one that goes against our very nature."

"Fine, but what about the fire," questioned Eleazar. Keegan looked down at his feet in shame.

"I couldn't stop it. I have tried before to stop the fires, but sometimes I get so angry and it just happens. The forest fire was never supposed to get that big. Micah was trapped. Nate and Nolan found her and I had to save her," he explained.

"The brothers found me in the forest and the only thing that stopped them from killing me was Keegan. We all escaped the fire, but he couldn't put it out," said Micah.

"That is because it was uncontrollable, all fire starters are uncontrollable," stated Eleazar, but Carlisle shook his head.

"Control can be learned. We all learned it," said Carlisle.

"Don't get any ideas," warned Eleazar. "This is not like the other cases."

"That is the last decision that needs to be made," confessed Alice with a smile and Edward rolled his eyes. Esme perked up.

"Decision," she asked.

"Yes, there is a way to make sure the guards and the brothers do not harm them, but they would have to stay with us for a while," revealed Alice and Seth let his voice be heard for the first time since the discussion began.

"Absolutely not! Alice, what is wrong you? He doesn't have the same diet. Plus, is everyone forgetting the guy is a pyromaniac? What about the family," asked Seth and Rosalie nodded.

"We cannot put the entire family at risk for this boy," agreed Rosalie.

"I am a man. I am twenty seven years old," interrupted Keegan.

"His newborn powers will wear off soon and that would help with the control issues," agreed Jasper.

"Are you willing to bet your life on that," challenged Eleazar and Rosalie glanced at Jasper.

"I'm not Jasper. We have to think about the family," explained Rosalie. Keegan scoffed.

"Hey, I don't need any of you, alright? I have done just fine on my own with Micah, so don't do me any favors. You don't want me here, then why did you invite me into your home?" Rosalie walked over to him. He was surprised by her lack of fear. Most vampires kept their distance, but she stepped right up to him.

"I have nothing against you. I don't even know you, but I wouldn't care if you were an angel. Anyone who threatens my family's safety is a threat to me, understand," she asked and he was stunned speechless. Micah pulled Keegan closer to her.

"I understand the danger, but Keegan can control himself and he didn't ask for any of this. Garrett, you know you owe me," said Micah and Kate crossed her arms.

"Oh really," asked Kate and Garrett groaned.

"Micah, you have no right to bring up the past."

"I know it is not fair, but I promised to protect Keegan and I am going to do that. You are part of the most powerful coven in the world. You have to help us, please." Esme cleared her throat.

"We need to discuss this as a family. Will the two of you please wait by the shore for us? We will make a decision momentarily," explained Esme and Micah glanced at Garrett one more time before walking out with Keegan. Silence filled the room as they waited for the two vampires to be out of hearing distance. Once Edward nodded that all was clear, Esme spoke again.

"I want them to stay," she announced and Rosalie scoffed.

"Of course you do. Great, I guess we have no say now," grumbled Rosalie.

"You each have a say and I understand where you are coming from, but the boy needs our help. Benjamin, are you confident that you could counteract Keegan's ability if he gets out of control?" Benjamin grinned.

"Sure, I can control fires," agreed Benjamin and Carlisle smiled at him.

"Then that take cares of the fire and control issues as long as Benjamin and Tanya agree to stay for a while," said Carlisle. Benjamin whispered to his mate and she nodded before kissing his cheek.

"We will stay as long as you need us to Carlisle," agreed Tanya. Esme beamed with happiness.

"Wonderful, then let us put it to a vote. Raise your hand if you do not want Keegan and Micah to stay, even though we have found a way to control his ability," asked Esme and Edward scoffed.

"We are not sure…"

"Just vote Edward," said Esme and he held up his hand along with Eleazar, Seth, Rosalie, Kate and Nahuel. Renesmee gasped at Nahuel, but he kept his hand up.

"I expected more out of you Nahuel," she scolded.

"Renesmee, please try to see reason. He is dangerous and there is no guarantee he can stay in control," argued Nahuel.

"People thought we were a risk because we were different, but they were wrong about us. Keegan deserves a chance to prove that too," she defended.

"Okay, who votes for Keegan to stay and learn with our family," asked Esme as she raised her hand. Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, Tanya, Benjamin, Zach, Garrett, Bella and Renesmee put their hands up as well. Emmett shrugged.

"I am pulling a Bella on this. Just call me Switzerland," chuckled Emmett and Carmen and Kaya nodded in agreement with Emmett.

"The votes favor Keegan staying, so that is that," announced Esme.

"I will go tell Micah," said Garrett, but Kate pulled him toward her possessively.

"No, someone else can go do that. We need to talk…..now." He nodded and followed his mate out of the house. They sped to the cliff on the north side of the island overlooking the water and he was quiet, knowing she needed to say what was on her mind.

"You told me that if we lived through the battle with the Volturi, you would follow me anywhere. I took that as your vow to be my mate, my husband, my lover for eternity and with that comes responsibilities like being faithful and honest with your wife!" He wrapped his arms cautiously around her and she allowed him to pull her closer.

"I know that and I am so sorry. I just…..I am not proud of my past."

"And you think I am proud of mine? I have done some things that I regret Garrett. I want the whole story." He gulped and closed his eyes as he revealed the truth.

"You know the beginning of my existence as a vampire. I was turned in 1780. I was a soldier during the American Revolutionary War and was bitten by a vampire that killed nine other soldiers as well. It was so sated that it left me for dead instead of drinking the rest of my blood. I woke up confused and scared. I had no clue what was happening to me."

"Is that when Micah found you?"

"Yes, but I am not sure it was the best situation for either of us. Micah was bitter and hurting over a lover who betrayed her trust. She hated the world and she used my anger to her advantage. For an entire year, we went on a killing spree, feeding off of each other's rage and terrorizing anyone we wanted to. I am so ashamed of what I did and the people I killed. They were innocent, but I didn't care. Micah and I went our separate ways as nomads once my rage ceased. Before you, I wasn't good. All I cared about was an adventure. I never knew what it would be like to fall in love. No one ever mattered enough before I met you. I was afraid to tell you the truth because I didn't want you to hate me."

"Garrett, you are my mate. I vowed my existence to only you and I love you so much. I don't care about the past. We all have one." He sighed in relief and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Can you forgive me?"

"Of course," she said with a smile, but then zapped him one more time on the shoulder. He flinched and then chuckled.

"What was that for? I thought you said you could forgive me."

"Yea, but that was for lying," she giggled. He kissed her passionately and she was happy to return the love and devotion she knew he had for her.

Carlisle grabbed some fresh linens and towels from the closet in the hallway across from the guest rooms Esme assigned to Micah and Keegan. He smiled when he saw his wife in one of the rooms, flitting around and checking the bathrooms.

"Do you think there is enough soap? I am sure they will want to clean up," asked Esme as she exited the bathroom and Carlisle chuckled.

"Yes, my love, I am sure it will be fine. Here are the towels you requested, but is it really necessary to change the sheets? They do not sleep," he teased and she smiled sheepishly.

"I know. I just want them to be comfortable. Besides, this will be Micah's room and I want it to have a feminine touch." She began changing the linens on the bed and he looked down.

"Do you think we are doing the right thing," he questioned and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean?" She quickly blurred around the bed to finish up before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I mean that Edward was not convinced and he can read Keegan's thoughts."

"Alice can see the future and she wants him to stay. Jasper can feel his emotions and he wants him here as well."

"My love, I am just worried about the children. Some are not happy with our decision at the moment." She shrugged.

"They will get over it. I knew Rosalie and Edward would vote against him."

"Aw yes, the two of them think so much alike," he chuckled.

"Too much alike at times," teased Esme and he nuzzled her neck.

"So we are doing the right thing?" She sighed happily as he peppered kisses on her neck and nodded.

"My instincts tell me that he has kindness in his heart. He is troubled, but weren't we all at one point in our existence?"

"True, if we turned our backs on people who needed our help, we would not have the family we do now."

"You wouldn't have found me either," she said with a serene smile and he tenderly kissed her.

"And what kind of existence would I have had if that were the case," he whispered against her lips. They kissed tenderly until a gasp pulled them out of their reverie. They looked toward the doorway to see Rosalie standing there with her eyes shut.

"Did not need to walk in on that," she groaned and Carlisle kissed his wife one more time before walking out.

"I will leave you two to talk," said Carlisle and he winked at his wife before disappearing into his study. Rosalie walked into the bedroom as Esme refolded the towels.

"Going all out as usual I see," teased Rosalie and Esme giggled.

"Yes, well they need to feel welcomed. I know you are upset about our new guests…."

"I am not upset, just concerned. We know nothing about them."

"Alice and Edward will let us know if something is not right."

"Edward already voted no for a reason. I thought if you would not listen to me, then maybe you would at least listen to your son."

"I have never been one to turn away those in need and I am not about to start now."

"Even if it is at the expense of your family, your children might be old enough to take care of themselves, but Zach is definitely not and Renesmee….." Esme tossed the towels down on the bed.

"Do you honestly think I would ever let someone harm my grandbabies?" Rosalie looked down.

"No, but you always think with your heart first. Sometimes you have to think with your mind. Taking in strays is nice until one bites you."

"Oh Rose, really," scolded Esme and they were both quiet as they sensed Micah and Keegan coming up the stairs. The two vampires stopped in the doorway of the room and Keegan frowned in confusion.

"Alice told us to come up here, but I don't understand. We don't sleep," he said and Esme giggled.

"It is mainly for comfort and a place for you to put your belongings."

"We don't have any belongings. It is hard to collect things when you are constantly on the move," explained Micah.

"What about clothes," asked Rosalie and Keegan shrugged.

"We make do and find some from time to time." Alice blurred by the door.

"I'm on it Esme," she called in a sing song voice as she skipped up to the third floor. Micah and Keegan looked even more baffled and Rosalie smirked.

"Don't worry about the pixie. She can't help herself. So, Keegan, tell us a little about yourself," suggested Rosalie and he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Well…..um…..I was a bit of a rebel I guess as a human. My parents died when I a teenager and I didn't want to be adopted so I ran away. I fended for myself and liked being on the open road. I worked just enough to save up for a bike and took that across the US. One night, I got into an accident. I lost control of my bike and it was raining outside. I flipped over the front of it and ended up in a ditch. The next thing I know, Micah was hovering over me. All I felt after that was fire."

"Why did you change him? He could have died in peace," said Rosalie.

"Rose," warned Esme and Micah gave a small smile.

"I don't usually go around changing humans into vampires, but when I saw him, I just felt like he deserved to live. He was so young and no one deserves to die in a ditch, so I changed him. I know you are worried about him, but Keegan will be fine."

"You must understand. If it was just me or even me and my mate, I would not mind helping you at all, but I have much more to think about than just my safety," explained Rosalie and the heavy footsteps of Zach filled their ears. He ran into the room and waved at them with a bright smile before wrapping an arm around his mother.

"Mom, dad is going to take me swimming. Are you coming? Grandma, you should come too," he said excitedly and Esme kissed his cheek.

"I will take a rain check my handsome grandson," said Esme and Rosalie winked at him.

"I will be there in a minute," said Rosalie and Zach smiled at Keegan.

"Will you show me your power," asked Zach and Rosalie scoffed.

"Absolutely not," she scolded.

"Aw, come on mom, it would be so cool. I have a power too." Keegan smirked

"I doubt it is as powerful as mine though."

"Don't be so quick to assume. The difference between you and my son is that Zach has control…...and he is only four."

"Yep and besides, who do you think cleaned up your mess," chuckled Zach and Keegan was baffled. Rosalie ruffled her son's curly blond hair.

"I am sure your dad is waiting on you. I will be there soon." Zach nodded happily before speeding out of the room. Micah tilted her head in astonishment.

"He is your real son, not created by venom. I can tell by his smile and some of his features. He looks like you and the strong, curly haired vampire."

"That is my mate, Emmett. I am sure you will have to get used to so many different stories and vampires…..plus Seth."

"Her other son," added Esme and Keegan and Micah's expressions were priceless.

"It is a very long story. Zach is not an immortal child. We were blessed with him. We are a very eclectic family. I am sure Esme will explain how our family came to be. If you will excuse me, I am about to go for a swim." Rosalie left the room and Esme smiled at the two visitors who were more confused than ever about the coven. Edward approached with a bag of clothes and handed them to Keegan.

"Alice wanted me to give you some of my clothes to wear. I am sure you would like to take a shower," explained Edward and Keegan slowly nodded as he looked at the designer clothes in the bag.

"I don't think I can….."

"Take them or Alice will nag you until you do. Besides, you know you want that shower," advised Edward.

"Right, mind reading thing, I have to get used to that, thanks," said Keegan and Edward nodded as Keegan disappeared into the bathroom down the hall. Esme smiled proudly at her son and he kissed her cheek before leaving. Micah shook her head in confusion.

"They all love you so much, like you are their mother."

"I am their mother. So Micah, what is your story," asked Esme.

"I was changed by a female nomad in Berlin during 1688. Her name was Calyn and she taught me how to hunt. At first, she wanted a companion, someone to talk to, but later realized that she preferred to live alone and I was not exactly fond of her. I hated her for the life she took from me all because she was lonely and needed a friend. I left Germany once I was able to control my thirst and have been in America since 1700. I found Garrett after a very difficult time in my life."

"A difficult time," questioned Esme.

"When I was still very young and naïve, I fell in love with a human, Andrew, and he betrayed me. I knew that a vampire falling in love with a human was unheard of, but I truly did love him, so I told him what I was. I thought he would understand and want to live with me for an eternity, but he didn't. He was disgusted and told me never to come back or he would expose my secret to the world. I was heartbroken and I used that rage to do things that I am not proud of. Once Garrett left, I spent my existence roaming around until I found Keegan. I wanted to give him a chance at life. I was not dying like he was when I was turned. He is so young and he has had a hard life, but I believe he can use his power for good. He is special and I don't care what other people think. He is not cursed with his ability."

"People tend to fear what they do not understand, but I am sure Keegan will see in time that you have given him a great gift and he needs to embrace it."

"When he first woke up, he thought he was a monster."

"He is not a monster and we all have a choice. I went through a very dark time in my existence as well, but now I am a mate, a mother, and a grandmother. I have a family and we are proof that vampires do not have to spend their lives feeding on humans and only thinking of the next hunt."

"You are an odd woman Esme Cullen, but I am happy Garrett found your coven." Esme smiled and knew that the two of them understood each other a bit more.

Rosalie giggled as she lay underneath the stars on the beach with her mate. The two of them watched their son swim in the water with his Uncle Jasper as they swam laps around the island and Rosalie glanced at her husband.

"You know Em. You could have backed me up during the vote."

"I was being honest. I really don't care either way if the kid stays here."

"How can you say that knowing what he is capable of? I always have to be the villain and make the hard decisions." He scoffed.

"Aw come on Rose, you worry too much."

"Well excuse me for worrying about our son's safety."

"Zach can take care of himself and he has proven that plenty of times. You have to stop coddling the boy." Rosalie sat up and gritted her teeth.

"I do not coddle him."

"Of course you do, but I get it. He has grown up so fast and that scares you just like his power does. You don't want to admit that Zach can take care of himself because that would be like admitting that your precious baby boy is becoming a man."

"He is only four years old!"

"He will be five this year."

"Emmett!" Emmett chuckled and pulled her into his lap. He showered her with kisses to soften her up and only stopped when a small smile crept onto her lips.

"Zach is special and just like Renesmee, he might only be a kid in age, but he grows and matures much quicker. I know he is still young and I would never put you or our son in danger, but you have to let him grow up. You saw how he used his power to stop that fire. The kid is just like his daddy." Rosalie giggled at her husband's boasting and rolled her eyes.

"Careful daddy because soon he will be able to kick your butt," she teased.

"Yea right," he chuckled and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Just promise me we will always keep him safe," she whispered. He kissed her forehead and played with her hair as he smiled.

"Forever," he agreed.

Bella and Edward were in their cottage discussing Keegan and the voting that occurred earlier that night. Bella watched her mate pace back and forth in concern and she giggled at his frown.

"This is serious Bella. Esme is completely keen about them staying here. Her thoughts are so hopeful, but this could turn into a disaster. Why did you vote for him to stay here as well? I thought you understood the danger."

"Come here Edward," she called, but he continued to pace. She lowered her shield so he could read her thoughts and he smiled as he read the ways she planned on persuading him that everything would be alright. She crawled onto the bed and a teasing growl rumbled through his chest as he stalked forward, but then he groaned. She was confused by his sudden mood change and he pouted as he dragged his feet toward the door. Seconds later, Micah's footsteps could be heard and he opened the door before she could knock. She smiled sheepishly.

"I just wanted to thank you for giving Keegan some clothes to wear. That was very nice of you," she explained and he motioned for her to come in.

"So Esme told you our story," he said as he closed the door and she nodded.

"I didn't think it was possible, especially for you to court her for so long while she was a human." Bella sat down on the bed and sighed happily as she looked at her mate.

"Yes well if I had it my way, he would have turned me much sooner, but it all turned out the way it should have. We even got our beautiful daughter out of it. There was some drama along the way but….."

"Some," challenged Edward with a crooked grin and Bella stuck her tongue out at him before continuing.

"But we got through it and I could not imagine my life without my Edward." Edward sat beside her on the bed and kissed her fingertips. Micah smiled at their interaction.

"You must have been a special human Bella. Most would not take kindly to finding out about vampires." Edward gave Micah a sympathetic smile.

"I am sorry about Andrew, but he was not your true mate. If he was, then no one would be able to keep you apart. I tried to be away from Bella once and it nearly killed us both. With mates, it is impossible to stay apart. You shouldn't give up hope."

"My chance at love was over long ago." Bella walked over to Micah as she shook her head.

"You can't think like that. Edward was just like you at one time in his life. In fact, he was worse. He was so moody." Edward smirked as he stood up. He pinched his mate's backside and she giggled as he gave a playful growl.

"Thanks for that, love. As much as I hate to admit it, she is right, Micah."

"Edward hates to be wrong," teased Bella and Edward wrapped his arms around her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder as they swayed together.

"My wife is not one to talk about hating to be wrong. The woman is so stubborn that our poor child did not stand a chance. She gets it from both sides, but you should listen to the two of us. We have been through battles, wars really, and more conflict than I would like to admit, but mates are powerful. You can't give up and as far as Keegan goes, well I am sure with enough guidance, he will…oh here we go," he groaned and Alice burst into the cottage.

"It's clear, it's clear, it's clear," she sang and danced around the couple as Micah looked at her completely dumbfounded by her exuberance. Edward shook his head in annoyance as Bella laughed.

"Alice, what are you talking about now," asked Bella. Alice continued to twirl and dance on her toes.

"Does she always act in such a peculiar way," asked Micah and Edward shrugged.

"Well, sometimes she is more eccentric than others," he teased and Alice stopped dancing in order to slap at him as he dodged her while laughing. Bella shook her head at the two of them as Edward picked up Alice and spun her around.

"Put me down, I have great news," shouted Alice and Edward shrugged.

"I already know your news and you probably shouldn't say it out loud until you know who can actually decide what they want from you know what." Alice gasped and Edward put her down. She stomped her foot and crossed her arms in a pout.

"That is so not fair! Why can't I…"

"Alice, you can't just snap your finger and tell people what to do."

"I do it all the time!"

"Yea and it is extremely annoying!"

"Don't you take that tone with me Edward Cullen, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't even be so…"

"How many times are you going to take credit for me finding Bella? She is my mate. We were destined!" The two of them continued to bicker as Micah looked at them like they were out of their minds and Bella sighed.

"They are always like this, forgive them. Hey, you two…Alice…..Edward…hey," shouted Bella and they both looked at her. "Care to tell us what you saw Alice?"

"She can't," interrupted Edward and Alice stomped her foot again.

"Can too," she yelled and Bella put her face in her hands.

"Will you two please figure out what you can and cannot say? This is ridiculous! I thought you two were supposed to be older than me and therefore, more mature, but I am always the voice of reason," argued Bella and Edward scoffed as Alice burst with laughter.

"She said…..the voice of…what is she…..talking about," laughed Alice and Bella glared at the two of them as they laughed.

"I am," she declared, but Alice smirked.

"Oh yea right Mrs. Edward is getting me all dressed up just so he can turn me into a vampire instead of take me to prom. Oh, better yet, oh hey, I'm Bella, let's walk down a dark, abandoned street where no one can hear my screams in Port Angeles or…"

"You know what Alice, you always have to bring up the past and…" Edward chuckled as he watched his wife and sister bicker and Micah whistled loudly to get their attention. The three of them looked at her curiously.

"I hate to interrupt this…..spectacle…but does the future you saw have anything to do with me or Keegan," asked Micah and Alice beamed with happiness.

"Yes….."

"But she can't say anymore," interrupted Edward and Alice growled at him.

"I can too!"

"No you can't because it is not your future to tell. If it is supposed to happen then it will happen naturally Alice. No butting in, no telling people where to go, and absolutely no telling them what you saw," demanded Edward and the room was quiet for a moment as Alice glared at her brother.

"Do you not know me at all," she asked and Edward could not help but laugh at his sister. Bella giggled as well and Micah slowly nodded in confusion.

"Okay, I am going to go now," she announced and they all waved goodbye as Alice poked Edward in the chest.

"You don't tell me what to do Edward Cullen. You are not the boss of me…oh you want to keep laughing, fine. Jazzy," called Alice as she marched out of the cottage. Micah watched the spectacle from outside as Edward fell to the ground in laughter from Alice's thoughts and Bella whined in annoyance about not knowing the vision. Edward pulled her on top of him and quickly whispered it in her ear. Her eyes lit up and she giggled as he continued to fill her in. Micah decided it was time to get out of dodge when she heard Alice coming back with a very amused Jasper simply smiling charmingly at his mate as she rambled on about Edward being mean and not showing her respect. Micah had no clue what to make of the ordeal, but one thing was clear. The Cullens were an interesting coven.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The sun was out the next day to pour its rays of sunshine on the island. It was a cool day and Keegan decided to roam around the island to observe how the Cullens lived. After speaking with Rosalie and Zach the night before, he was intrigued by the way the boy interacted with his parents and the power he was said to have. To have enough power to stop Keegan's fire, the power must have been grand, but no one on the island seemed to be afraid of Zach or the possibilities of what he could do. Emmett, Zach and Seth were wrestling on the beach while Renesmee, Nahuel and Kaya read several books. Rosalie was sitting in a tree watching the wrestling match with a smile. Renesmee noticed Keegan's curiosity and waved him over. He hesitantly walked over as he watched the wrestling tumble over into the forest.

"What brings you out here," asked Renesmee and Nahuel glanced up at him before scanning over another page of his book. Keegan shrugged.

"I was just curious about this island. It is huge. There are so many cottages around here too. I didn't mean to interrupt you though. I know I am in the way." He turned to leave and Renesmee looked at Nahuel who sighed, but tossed his book down.

"You aren't in the way. Look, how about we start over? You have not caused any disasters since you got here so you obviously know how to control yourself long enough to not wipe out the entire island," said Nahuel.

"Um…..thanks…..I think," chuckled Keegan as he sat down beside them.

"So, where is Micah," asked Kaya.

"She is back at the main house. This is all kind of overwhelming for her. She isn't used to being around so many vampires at once. She said something about Alice, Edward and Bella acting strange last night. They were arguing over something, but she has no clue what." The three of them glanced at each other before laughing.

"That's normal for them," giggled Renesmee and Keegan looked around.

"So um…..how did you all come to the coven," he asked and Renesmee smiled even more.

"My mom and dad are Edward and Bella. I was born into it." Keegan's eyes widened.

"Wait, like your mom gave birth to you?"

"Yep, the three of us are hybrids, half human and half vampire. Couldn't you tell by how different we are from most vampires," she asked and he slowly nodded.

"Yea, I just didn't want to say anything. It would have been rude." Kaya giggled and pointed toward the forest.

"That's my mate," she informed and Keegan frowned in confusion.

"Emmett is your mate? I thought he was Rosalie's mate."

"He is. Not Emmett, the other one," said Kaya and Keegan slowly nodded again.

"Isn't he only like, four? I mean it is none of my business but….." Kaya shuddered.

"Not Zach, gross, are you kidding me? Seth is my mate. Zach is like my…..I guess my brother-in-law…..yea, that's it." Keegan's eyes darted toward the forest where Seth was rolling over Zach in his wolf form. He quickly shook his head.

"You….but he's….and you're…a vampire and a wolf…..that's impossible," he exclaimed and she shrugged.

"Nope, that's my mate."

"I'm going to head back to the house," he mumbled and headed toward the center of the island, but Renesmee stopped him before he could leave the beach. She wore a kind smile and he suddenly felt at ease.

"I know our family is confusing. Trust me it is hard for us to keep up sometimes. Seth is Kaya's mate and my Aunt Rose's son."  
>"Excuse me, you can't be serious. They weren't joking about that," he asked in bewilderment and Rosalie appeared beside Renesmee.<p>

"Talking about me," she asked with a wink and Renesmee smiled at her aunt.

"I was just trying to explain the family dynamics to him."

"Good luck," giggled Rosalie and Keegan gulped.

"So you had Zach right," he asked and Rosalie nodded.

"Yep."

"And…..you had…..Seth?"

"No, he is not my actual son. His other mother lives in La Push along with his sister, my best friend, but I treat Seth like my son and he is accepted as my son. It is like a supernatural adoption."

"But Zach is really yours," he asked and Rosalie nodded as Renesmee jogged back over to her mate to continue reading with him.

"Yes, I was extremely blessed to have him."

"But he is cursed with a power."

"Excuse me," she asked in confusion.

"You said he was powerful. It must be a curse."

"Look, just because you can't control your ability doesn't mean that my son can't. Zach is not cursed and his power is amazing."

"Whatever," he mumbled.

"No, not whatever, Zach is a blessing and so is his gift. I'm sorry that you can't control your….."

"You think it is something that I would want to control in the first place? I don't want it at all. You think I asked for this life or this stupid power? You have no clue what it is like to have other vampires shy away from you. Yea, I expect it from humans, but my own kind? The only difference between me and Zach is that he got lucky to have a coven to fall into, but don't think for a second that people wouldn't see him as a demon if he were among others and not on this secluded island." Rosalie narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know nothing about my family or my son, so don't you dare stand here trying to tell me about something that you know nothing about!" Keegan's eyes brightened and Rosalie took a step back as they glowed like embers. His breathing picked up in pace, but before either of them could react, Keegan was hurled backward into the ocean. He crashed into the water and Zach appeared beside his mother with a scowl on his face.

"You okay mom," he asked and she kissed her son's cheek.

"Of course baby, thanks for the help." He gave a dimpled grin that reminded her of his father. Keegan slowly emerged from the water, drenched and shocked. He ran a hand through his hair in amazement.

"That is some kid you got there." Rosalie smiled smugly and Zach's smile matched hers.

"I know and he is quite powerful. I guess I don't have to worry about you being a threat. If Benjamin can't stop you, then my son will, but you need to learn to control yourself. I know what it is like to be angry, but you have to be careful if this is going to work out." Keegan looked down.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so angry. I didn't hurt you did I?" She giggled.

"Oh I was never in any real danger. While my husband might be laughing right now, he is still a protective mate," she informed and Keegan looked over to the forest to see Emmett rolling around in silent laughter as his body shook with mirth. Nahuel, Renesmee and Kaya were laughing at Emmett's amusement as well. Zach chuckled at his father, but then nodded toward the forest again.

"My bro doesn't think it was so funny though so be careful. You're lucky I was here to throw you because Seth wouldn't have been so nice about it," warned Zach and Keegan searched the forest again. Seth's hulking wolf form was lurking in the brush with eyes fierce and full of anger. Keegan gulped and put his hands up defensively.

"Point taken, I'm sorry again," said Keegan and Rosalie patted his shoulder.

"It's okay and I want you to know that I don't think you are cursed. There was a time in my life that I thought I was cursed too, but I found my happiness and if you were cursed, you wouldn't be here right now. Come on, time for you to get dried off and Seth stop growling at him. It is fine," she called and Seth flared his nostrils as he eyed Keegan. Emmett appeared beside his mate and kissed her before patting Keegan's shoulder.

"Aw, that was great. You almost died…you do realize there were at least three of us ready to kill you right? I mean for a second there, I was trying to decide how to rip you apart, down the middle or piece by piece, but then Zach threw you. Man, you should have seen your face. Good job son, I am so proud. I wouldn't get too close to Seth at the moment though Keegan," warned Emmett and Keegan took another step away from Seth's side of the forest as they were joined by Renesmee, Nahuel and Kaya. Nahuel glared at Keegan.

"I hope you learn to control that soon. I don't take kindly to anyone putting my family in danger. I don't care if they were here to stop you. That could have been a disaster," said Nahuel and Emmett scoffed.

"Nahuel, calm down, Keegan knows that. He also knows that if he ever gets that look in his eyes around my mate again, I will be happy to put him out of his misery, right Keegan," threatened Emmett and his smile was no longer on his face as he gripped Keegan's shoulder. His eyes were deadly and Keegan quickly nodded as he winced. Emmett swatted him on the back, effectively sending Keegan a couple of steps forward from the force.

"Good man," said Emmett and Rosalie smiled proudly at her boys. They all came to her defense in an instant and she could not have been a prouder mate or mother.

Edward sprinted onto the porch to stand beside Alice as she scanned through her visions in her mind once again. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That was a little close don't you think Alice? Rose could have…"

"Rosalie was fine. Now sure I will admit that Keegan's future disappeared, but it was more like a flicker. I mean it came right back. It is no big deal."

"Do you hear yourself when you talk or is it like your visions, just a big blur of information," he asked and she rolled her eyes.

"You are so dramatic."

"Rosalie could have been killed, do you realize that?" Alice groaned as several footsteps sped toward them from inside the house. Carlisle, Esme and Micah sped onto the porch.

"Has Rosalie been harmed," asked Carlisle with an expression mixed with guilt, sadness, and rage. Alice quickly calmed him down.

"She is fine. It was a complete misunderstanding. Zach tossed him in the water so he could cool down and all is well again," said Alice as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Micah's eyes widened.

"Is Keegan alright," she asked and Alice waved her off.

"He's fine," she assured.

"Yea thanks to Zach. If it was just Rosalie, Emmett and Seth….." Alice cut Edward off.

"Yea, yea, that would have been bad, but it didn't happen. My goodness Edward, stop living in the past."

"It just happened," he exclaimed and Carlisle began to pace. Esme bit her lip nervously. Her husband rarely resorted to the human mannerism unless he was truly upset.

"Alice, I want the truth. How close was Keegan to killing Rose," asked Carlisle in an eerily calm voice. Everyone else was silent as they waited for Alice to speak. She slipped her hands into Carlisle's and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Carlisle, she is fine and everything is going to be alright. It was barely a blip on the radar. I got the vision, but it was extremely blurry and I knew the outcome a moment later. It actually reminded me of when Jasper almost attacked Bella at her birthday…that was not a good example was it?"

"No," answered Edward, feeling completely astonished at his sister's lack of filter at the moment.

"Ugh, you are so dramatic. That was so long ago. Anyways, what I mean is that it was a flicker, it was a small, tiny, itsy bitsy possibility, but Keegan was in far more danger than Rosalie. Fear not, my plan will work," she announced before clapping her hands together and Micah glanced at Esme.

"How do you deal with her on a regular basis," asked Micah and Esme giggled.

"Alice gets this high strung when she is trying to focus on a certain path. It rarely happens, like when we are in danger or could possibly be, so I would say once….twice…..three times a year at most and I would consider that a very active year for us," explained Esme and Micah slowly nodded. Edward chuckled as he read Micah's thoughts.

"I said Keegan was a threat, not the biggest threat we have ever encountered," he informed. Emmett, Rosalie, Zach, Renesmee, Nahuel, Kaya and Seth, who was in human form, emerged from the forest. Seth glared at the forest as Keegan emerged seconds later and Rosalie had to give Seth a stern look to stop him from lashing out at the vampire. Alice sighed and put her hands up defensively as Seth jogged over to the porch.

"Seth, do not start yelling. It will only make you mad and then Keegan will get mad and then…it is just a vicious cycle. I assure you that Rosalie was not in danger, Keegan was, and no, you cannot punch him for good measure! Now go get some cookies. Esme just made them," rambled Alice. Seth did not say a word. He simply glared at Keegan one more time before walking inside with his mate. Jasper walked onto the porch and shivered.

"Wow, Seth is furious. It is rolling off of him in waves," he said in surprise since Seth usually emitted happiness. Rosalie sighed.

"I will go talk to him. Everyone calm down, I am fine," she assured and Carlisle gave her a hug before she could pass him. She winked at him and Esme. Emmett, Zach, Renesmee and Nahuel walked inside as well. Keegan plopped down on the ground by the porch and looked up at the sky as Micah sat down beside him.

"What happened," she asked and he shrugged.

"The usual, I got upset over something stupid and almost lost it." Alice squealed with delight as a vision appeared in her mind. She jumped over the railing of the porch, kissed Keegan's cheek, which made him jump away from her, and she motioned for Edward, Bella and Jasper to follow her.

"Come on, let's go," she urged and Bella looked at her mate. Edward shook his head.

"Alice, I want no part in…"

"Edward, come on," she whined and Jasper tenderly kissed his wife's forehead. Edward glanced at Bella and she shrugged. He conceded and the four of them disappeared into the forest. Carlisle and Esme walked over to Keegan and Micah.

"How did it feel when it happened," asked Carlisle and Keegan looked down.

"I just felt this rage and for a split second, I thought I could control it, but then everything went red and I thought I was going to explode. That's when Zach threw me into the water and I was able to come back to my senses again."

"So then we must focus on controlling everything before you see red. By that point, it would be too late for you to stop it. I know this must be scary for you, but we are going to find a way to control this, just like we found a way to control bloodlust."

"This is impossible to control," he said hopelessly and Esme gave him with a kind smile.

"There are several things in our world that we thought would be impossible, but we found a way and we will find a way to help you control this. Trust us Keegan. If you don't, then this is already a lost cause. You have to want our help, do you," asked Esme and Keegan nodded. Carlisle smiled proudly at him.

"Then you have taken the first step," said Carlisle. Garrett stepped out onto the porch and looked at Micah.

"We need to talk," he said and Micah nodded before following him into the forest. They did not stop running until they reached a cliff away from the house and others. He peered out at the water and she looked around.

"Is this the only way you can get some privacy on this island?" He chuckled.

"Yep, sometimes it is."

"I don't know how you do it. This island is far too small for so many vampires and where do you even hunt?"

"They hunt on the mainland, not on the island. I don't live with the Cullens. I live with the Denali coven in Alaska. We're like cousins of sorts. There is much more room to run there and trust me, when all of us aren't invading the island, the Cullens do just fine. Things are hectic right now, but it isn't always like this. Kate and I are going to spend some time together alone when all of this is over. We just have to make sure the guards and those brothers stay away. Alice called Alexander last night and explained the situation, so the Volturi are not involved anymore."

"Good, so tell me about this Kate. I am surprised that you fell in love. I was pretty sure you never would." Garrett smiled as he remembered the exact moment he saw Kate.

"I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. It was the eyes that did me in and her personality fits mine perfectly."

"I hope you are talking about me," said Kate as she emerged from the forest and Garrett held his hand out to her.

"You can't sneak up on me woman. I know your footsteps even when they are stealthy and your scent will always give you away," he teased. Kate captured his lips in a passionate kiss and Micah looked away. Kate sensed her discomfort.

"Does it anger you to watch me kiss my mate," she asked suspiciously and Micah put her hands up defensively.

"Calm down, I do not see Garrett in that way. I think of him as an old friend, nothing more and nothing less."

"So you two were never anything more," asked Kate and Micah smiled smugly at Garrett as he groaned.

"He wanted to be at first. It was cute really. He thought he was so charming and irresistible….."

"Do we have to talk about this," he asked and Kate giggled at his tormented expression.

"Oh now we definitely do, go on," urged Kate.

"He put on that smile that he finds oh so charming and tried to make a move, but I turned him down. He was a newborn, naïve and impulsive, I knew it was only about lust. Good thing too, I couldn't imagine what would have happened between us. Garrett chose to leave soon after that. I thought he was bitter, but I realized later on what really happened." Garrett smiled at her as he put his arm around Kate.

"I made a choice. I chose to leave because after that night I knew there could never be anything more than rage between us. That wasn't enough for me and no offense but it was the right decision. Then one day years later, I heard about an impending battle with the Volturi and I just had to check that out. Now that was the best decision of my life." Kate smiled at him and Micah rolled her eyes.

"She has turned you into a sap," teased Micah and Garrett chuckled.

"A very lucky, happy, in love sap," he agreed before kissing Kate and Micah shuddered.

"I'm heading back. Oh, was there something else you wanted to talk about," asked Micah.

"Yea, if Keegan ever almost attacks someone in the family again, he is out. I can't allow that. They are helping you because of me and I know I owe you for helping me survive my newborn stage, but I couldn't live with myself if one of them was harmed because of him or you."

"Understood," said Micah and the three of them raced back to the house. When they arrived, the scene before them was baffling. The expression on everyone's face varied and so did the emotions of all those who were in the front yard. Carmen, Tanya and Benjamin were smiling from ear to ear, seeming to be relieved. Eleazar was confused and baffled by the situation. Renesmee, Nahuel, Kaya, Seth and Zach were whispering amongst themselves like children gossiping in the schoolyard. Emmett was unsurprisingly amused and Rosalie's jaw was dropped in shock, while Carlisle and Esme looked relieved and hopeful.

Garrett, Kate and Micah approached cautiously as no one said a word, but Alice was humming and dancing as if she successfully completed a mission. Edward, Bella and Jasper watched expectantly, but with a hint of curiosity as Keegan blinked several times in awe. Micah watched him stare at a tall, slender, dark skinned woman with golden brown eyes. Her long limbs were elegant and her hair was braided down her back. Keegan was in awe as she introduced herself.

"Hello Keegan, Alice tells me we will get along quite well. I am Zafrina." Garrett and Kate shared a look before smiling and Eleazar bowed his head in defeat. His feelings toward Keegan no longer mattered. He knew the look in the young vampire's eyes. He was hooked and as member of the same coven as Zafrina, Eleazar had to respect that.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Alice could not contain her happiness as she clapped and smiled sweetly at Zafrina and Keegan. Edward rolled his eyes at his sister and gave her a stern look.

"No meddling," he mouthed to her and she smirked.

_Yea right! _Was her answer in her mind.

Alice was about to speak, but Edward tried to stop her. He covered her mouth, but she quickly bit his finger causing him to hiss in pain. Bella and Jasper looked at their mates like they were insane and Alice grabbed Zafrina and Keegan's hands.

"Zafrina, Keegan is a newborn, he needs to feed. Take him to Washington where he can hunt animals. It will be his first time drinking animal blood. It will be great. Have fun! Benjamin, Tanya, go with them as well just in case Keegan can't control himself…"

"Control what," asked Zafrina. Alice shrugged.

"Oh, no big deal, he can just shoot fire out of his eyes that can spin out of control if not careful, nothing major. Jazzy, I know you need to hunt too. We should go as well. That should be enough reinforcements. Alright, chop, chop, things to do, weddings to….."

"Alice," yelled Edward and Alice smiled innocently at him. Zafrina looked at her friends curiously, but nodded.

"I do need to hunt. The run from South America was quite long. Shall we go," asked Zafrina and Micah pulled Keegan over to her.

"You don't have to go if you aren't comfortable with….."

"I'll be fine Micah. Stay here and relax," he assured. His eyes never left Zafrina and Alice clapped happily. Edward pulled her away from the group and pointed a finger at her. She acted as if she was going to bite him again.

"That was not funny. Don't even act like you are going to bite me! I am trying to be the voice of reason here. Let it happen naturally," he whispered.

"It will. I have seen it. No point in wasting away here."

"We are immortal. They have plenty of time and you don't even know how Zafrina feels about him." Her eyes widened and he gulped as he read her thoughts.

"Did you just…..did you just bet against me," she asked in utter disgust and he quickly shook his head.

"That is not what I am…"

"I can't believe you just did that."

"I didn't do anything," he growled and she stuck her tongue out at him before marching off. Edward walked over to Jasper.

"Please try to reason with your wife," pleaded Edward and Jasper chuckled.

_Me reason with my little darlin' when she is on a mission…..never._

Jasper followed his mate into the forest with Benjamin, Tanya, Zafrina and Keegan right by their side.

Running was one of Keegan's favorite advantages about being a vampire, but swimming was not far behind it on his list. He watched as Alice flitted around her mate under the water as they swam as fast as possible to Washington State. Benjamin did not swim, however. He used his ability to push him and Tanya in a wave all the way to shore while he held his mate close. Their eyes never left one another as they glided beneath the water and Keegan was intrigued by the way the mates interacted. He had never been around mates before he met the group and as he glanced at Zafrina, he wondered what it felt like. As soon as they reached the northern shore of the state, they blurred by the small towns and into the forest. The winds whipped around them and it was exhilarating to experience. Zafrina veered farther south and he followed her while the others stayed behind to hunt in the area. His eyes widened in realization when she suddenly stopped and a broken sob escaped from her lips. Shame and guilt washed over him as he saw the pain in her eyes. Zafrina could see the burnt forest miles away and she searched the area for clues to what happened. She took a step forward, but Keegan's voice stopped her.

"It was me," he confessed in a small voice.

"You? How could you do all of this? It is ruined. The ground, the trees, all those creatures that were killed by the fire, it is a tragedy."

"I didn't mean it. I was trying to protect Micah and it got out of hand." His body shook with sobs and her focus turned to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he jerked away.

"No, I don't deserve your kindness or your forgiveness for this. I did this. I caused this damage, this destruction." Her eyes widened when the glowing embers of his eyes brightened. His body shook with rage and he could sense it pouring from him. The fire was coming. He was about to see red, but suddenly, his vision changed. All he saw was a beautiful rainforest. There was no destruction, only greenery and rain. No carnage was left in the corners of his mind, only peace, and he calmed down. Suddenly, his vision returned and he blinked several times to see Zafrina standing in front of him.

"Better," she asked and he gulped.

"What was that?"

"My home, well…..what used to be my home. I have a new one now. Would you like to see it?" He quickly nodded and she smiled. His vision was no longer his once more and the beautiful snow and mountains of Alaska were before him. He chuckled as a waterfall was seen in the distance. Suddenly, his vision returned again and he sighed.

"How did you do that?"

"You aren't the only one with special talents. I will admit yours is quite….."

"Dangerous," he answered, but she shook her head.

"I was going to say, complex. I have never heard of such a being besides Benjamin."

"You don't think I'm a freak?" She giggled.

"If you are, then we all are. Have you met the family?"

"Yea, good point, I am putting the family in danger though."

"You will find control over your gift in time and the forest will grow once again. Nature always has a way of healing itself."

"There are people after me, vampires. I killed their brother. It was an accident. He was trying to kill me and I beat him to it."

"And these vampires are close," she asked as she stepped closer to him and he nodded.

"I don't think they have any special powers, but they are determined. Don't worry. I am sure Alice wouldn't let you come out here with me if you were in danger." She scoffed.

"I have lived hundreds of years on my own, far before I had the pleasure of meeting the Cullens or the Denali Coven. I am not worried about my safety. I am worried about yours."

"Really," he asked as he stepped closer to her and she nodded.

"I will protect you from them." He closed the last amount of distance between them.

"Protect me, no one has ever offered to do that before. Even Micah gets out of dodge sometimes. I have always been expected to take care of myself," he confessed and their eyes locked.

"Your eyes are…..quite…."

"Weird," he guessed.

"No and stop assuming you know what I will say because you don't."

"Kay," he said as he looked down. She tilted his chin back up to her and looked into his eyes again.

"You do not give yourself enough credit. Your eyes are beautiful. I have never seen such a color before. They are not the eyes of a newborn. Your ability must make them this color. I doubt even on our diet the color will change."

"Well I love your eyes. They are beautiful, just like you." He leaned in to kiss her, but she hesitantly pulled away. The hurt and rejection was evident on his face and she closed her eyes as she looked away.

"We should hunt, especially you. You must be starving," she advised. She was not surprised when he ran away. He headed north, back to the others, and she sighed as conflicting emotions washed over her. She tried to picture serene environments while she calmed her nerves, but Alice's screeching jolted her from her reverie.

"Seriously," yelled Alice as she stomped over to her and Zafrina groaned.

"Alice, this is not the time."

"Time, what is with everyone and time? Stop wasting time and be with him. I knew you would be stubborn. They are always stubborn. I have to do everything. No one can make things easy and…" Zafrina blocked her out as she began to ramble. Suddenly, Alice became lost in a vision and she scoffed as it blurred by in her mind.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me! That is your issue? Really, fine but you better talk to Esme soon or I will. This is ridiculous!"

"Alice, what are you talking about? Now you are starting to frustrate me!" Alice planted her hands on her hips. The two of them standing off was quite comical to Jasper as he watched from the distance. His tiny, petite little mate standing at 4'10 was holding her ground against the 6'1, tall and slender Zafrina.

"I am starting to frustrate you? Oh well excuse me for trying to make everyone happy. You are frustrated, Edward bet against me, Jasper is watching us right now like we are his type of entertainment and poor Keegan is heartbroken. I have to do everything around here by myself!" Alice stomped off and Jasper tried to hide his smile as he followed his mate. Zafrina stood there completely stunned for a moment.

"The woman is completely out of her mind," she mumbled to herself and focused on hunting.

Keegan found himself deep within the forest. His breathing was frantic and his body began to shake as he thought about the woman he could not have. He never expected for her to like him, but the moment she spoke to him of protection and beautiful eyes, he put his guard down. The very thought enraged him and he began to flicker with fire from his eyes. Suddenly, a consuming wave of calm crippled him and he fell to the forest floor. His head lolled to the side and he saw Jasper as cool as a cucumber leaning against a tree with a half smile on his face.

"That was a close call. Now you and I both know this isn't your first rodeo. You know where that would have led, so get your emotions under control before I have to call Benjamin. Give her time Keegan."

"I don't know what is happening to me," he whispered and Jasper chuckled as he walked closer.

"Oh I do. Mates are very powerful and I know it can be scary, but it will be alright."

"Mates, whatever, she doesn't want to be my mate. She thinks I am a freak," he said as he continued to lie on his back and look up at the sky.

"In the words of my lovely wife, don't be dramatic. You know she doesn't think that and mates work both ways." Keegan slowly nodded and was about to sit up when Jasper placed a foot on his chest to push him back down. Keegan looked at him confused and Jasper quirked an eyebrow.

"I am going out on a limb for you and so are a lot of people. Learn some control over yourself. We wouldn't want you to harm anyone," warned Jasper. Keegan nodded his understanding and Jasper helped him up. Benjamin and Tanya appeared before them and Tanya crossed her arms disapprovingly as Benjamin grinned.

"I have an idea. I want to try something. Tanya will not be happy about it, but I think it will be fine. I don't hear Alice telling us to run for the hills, so I think I must be onto something."

"I just don't want you risking your life or anyone else's just to test your power," said Tanya and Benjamin kissed her before focusing on Keegan.

"Try to start a fire."

"You are insane," yelled Keegan and Benjamin smiled at him.

"I can manipulate it, so trust me."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yep," said Benjamin as he rubbed his hands together. Keegan closed his eyes and thought of something that would make him enraged. Zafrina pulling away from him, the rejection that he felt and the anger all boiled inside until he felt his body start to shake. His vision turned red and he shouted out into the night as fire exploded from his eyes. He could no longer see anything but the flames, but he could still hear the voices.

"Ben!"

"Tanya, I got it. Trust me!"

"Tanya, step back."

"Jasper let me go!"

"Tanya, let him try. I know he is your mate, but trust him." Suddenly Keegan's vision returned and the fire left him. He saw Jasper holding Tanya away from Benjamin and her eyes were trained on her mate. Keegan's eyes widened when he saw Benjamin's bright smile and wisps of fire swirling above them. Benjamin laughed as he spun the fire and then with one swift movement, the fire was extinguished. Tanya sighed in relief and ran into her mate's arms. He kissed her hair and apologized for scaring her as she nuzzled his neck. Jasper smiled at Keegan as Alice walked over to them.

"Good job," said Alice and Keegan shrugged.

"All I did was lose control." Jasper shook his head.

"You summoned it. That is the first step to controlling it," explained Jasper and Keegan smiled. Zafrina slowly approached and he looked away as the rejection filled him up again. A wave of calm passed through him and he smiled thankfully at Jasper.

"Come on Keegan, let's go hunt," suggested Jasper and Keegan glanced at Zafrina as Alice pulled her away.

"They are going back to the island, don't worry you will see her soon," added Jasper and Keegan tried to shrug nonchalantly.

"I don't care," he grumbled and marched away. Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Sure you don't."

Alice pestered Zafrina the entire trip back to the shore of northern Washington. Zafrina was relieved that they could not speak underwater, but the moment they reached the island, Alice was right back at it.

"Don't look at me like that. I am trying to help you and all you are doing is making this difficult on both of you. He is your mate and needs you right now." Zafrina halted her run to look at Alice.

"I just met him. He cannot possibly be my…my…..that!"

"Of course he is, don't you dare say you are betting against me too!"

"Wait, earlier when you mentioned a wedding, you were talking about….."

"Yours silly!"

"Alice, are you insane? Do you hear yourself right now? I just met the guy! Let's say that you are right…"

"Well finally you are admitting that I….."

"Even if you are, don't I deserve to have some time to think about this?"

"No," shouted Alice as if the very notion was preposterous.

"Mates spend eternity together and that is a long time, so shouldn't I get to know the guy before I start calling him my….my…..that!" Alice was quiet for a moment before stomping her foot.

"What is wrong with you? Have you not been paying attention? You are surrounded by mates! You must know how it works. You fall in love instantly!"

"Bella and Edward didn't….."

"Oh don't get me started on Bella and Edward. Do you really want to use them as your example for mates and go through everything they did?"

"Point taken," mumbled Zafrina and Alice pushed her toward the house. "Stop manhandling me!"

"Stop being stubborn and move!" They ran to the house and Esme sprinted down the stairs in a panic when they entered.

"Alice, thank God, is everything alright? I got your text about an emergency. Is Keegan alright, did he harm anyone?"

"Keegan is fine. She is the problem. I cannot deal with her ridiculousness!" Alice stormed off and Esme closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath to calm down.

"Vampires can't have heart attacks. Vampires can't have heart attacks," she chanted and Zafrina gave a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry about her. She is upset with me and thinks I should speak with you."

"Don't worry about whatever it is. Alice is just being dramatic like always."

"I heard that," called Alice from upstairs and Esme giggled.

"I knew that you would dear."

"Oh," called Alice before closing her door. Zafrina shook her head and sighed.

"I guess she did lead me to the right person. May I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course, let's go for a walk," suggested Esme and Zafrina followed her out of the house. They took a relaxing stroll around the island and Zafrina smiled at Esme.

"You are good at this, putting people at ease."

"Well, I have six children and five grandchildren, I have learned over the years."

"I think my calculations are off, six children and five grandchildren?"

"I count Seth, Kaya and Nahuel as grandchildren as well."

"Got it," giggled Zafrina and they stopped at a small stream on the west side of the island.

"So what brings you to me tonight?"

"It seems Alice believes that Keegan is my…..my….."

"Your mate."

"You knew?" Esme nodded.

"It was quite obvious when you two met. The boy never stood a chance."

"This is so embarrassing."

"Why?"

"I never expected to find my….my….him. When I finally do, he is a mere child." Esme looked at her curiously, but soon realization dawned on her.

"The age difference is why Alice wanted you to speak with me," said Esme.

"I thought it was because you were a good listener."

"That too, but mainly because I am married to an older man, Carlisle is 255 years older than me and it has never bothered me. Zafrina, we do not live by the same rules as humans. We never have and if we did, I am quite sure the age gaps would interfere with most of the mates in our family. Do you think Keegan is your mate?"

"I am not sure. I have never been interested in finding a mate, so I don't really know how it would feel. He is a newborn of all things."

"He will not be next week. Plus, he is a man. He was changed when he was 26, so stop looking at him like a number. What do you think of when you think of him?" If Zafrina were a human, she would be blushing at that moment.

"I rather not say."

"Fair enough then let me ask you a question. Are you aware of the two vampires that want to kill him?" Zafrina stiffened, but nodded.

"Yes," she managed to growl and Esme smiled.

"How does that make you feel?"

"If they come here, if they come near him, I will end them myself," growled Zafrina and Esme gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I think you just got your answer." Zafrina's eyes widened as she realized how possessive and protective she suddenly became. She knew in that moment that it was true. He was her mate.

By midnight, everyone was back on the island and the tension between Zafrina and Keegan was palpable. Micah was in her guest room going through the clothes Esme and Alice gathered for her from Esme's closet. She heard a knock on the door and Garrett poked his head in.

"Got a minute," he asked and she nodded.

"You can come in." He shook his head and stood inside the doorway.

"I can't. It's a mate thing. There are certain boundaries and lines of respect I don't need to cross right now. I am kind of on thin ice." Micah giggled.

"Speaking of mates, is it true? Are Keegan and Zafrina really mates?"

"Well I guess it depends on who you ask. According to Keegan, he doesn't want to talk about it. According to Zafrina, no, they just met. According to Alice, duh, are you blind," he said in his best Alice impression and they both laughed.

"The future seer is quite…..expressive isn't she?"

"That is one way to put it. So um, are you okay with Keegan staying behind permanently if the two of them ever decide to work it out?"

"I always knew he would move on. His first year is almost up. It makes sense. I can never give him what he needs, just like I couldn't give that to you. I want to truly apologize for the way we ended and began. I used you. I was bitter and angry and I used that to fuel your bloodlust as a newborn. If anyone is the monster, it is me."

"You aren't a monster. Monsters don't save people and take them in to care for them. You do need to get over your past though. Andrew is dead, but he still holds this power over you. That can't be healthy."

"It isn't, but I don't know how to move on or open up."

"Well there are plenty of women to talk to in this house who have been scorned. They managed to do it and I know you can too." Micah smiled at him and they both listened as Kate's footsteps drew nearer. She appeared beside her mate and giggled at his position in the doorway.

"You could have gone in. I know you wouldn't do anything to betray me or what we have," she assured and Garrett kissed her forehead. Alice's loud squeal of delight caught their ears and they ran downstairs to see her dancing around Edward and Bella as she clapped happily. Bella and Edward both pinched the bridge of their noses.

"I was right. I was right," sang Alice.

"I never said you were wrong," argued Edward and Alice scoffed.

"You might as well have. Let them decide for themselves Alice. They can make their own decisions. Yea right, I was so right and you were so wrong."

"I did not….." Bella covered her mate's mouth and gave him a sweet smile.

"You are never going to win this argument with her and it is pointless," advised Bella and Edward slowly nodded.

"Fine, you were right Alice, yay," he said in mock enthusiasm.

"See, was that so hard," she teased before flicking his ear. She danced out of the room and Bella hid her smile as Edward took in a deep breath.

"Alice had a vision. Everything will be fine very soon," he announced before giving his wife a pout. "Can I please go pick on her now?"

"Yea, she kind of deserves it," agreed Bella and Edward darted out of the house knowing that Alice would see him chasing after her and get a head start. Jasper and Bella both shook their heads in amusement as they shrugged.

"Siblings," they said in unison and Micah slowly nodded her understanding.

"I have to get out of this house…..no offense." Bella giggled.

"None taken, we are used to it, but I am sure it is overwhelming to an outsider. With any luck, you and Keegan will be out of danger really soon," said Bella and Micah went back upstairs.

Keegan could sense her drawing near. He had never been so in tune with someone else before, but he could sense her without looking back. Her scent called to him and he smiled as she sat down beside him on the beach. The moon hung high and the waves crashed against the shore. Zafrina scooted closer to him as she found the words to say.

"I want to apologize for earlier. It had nothing to do with you."

"I thought you wanted to kiss me," he confessed and she nodded.

"I did."

"Is it because you are afraid of me?"

"Of course not…..well at least not physically."

"I don't understand." She took in a deep breath.

"I have been alone for quite some time now. I have watched others fall in love and fight for it, but I have never felt that kind of passion for another. I have never experienced what mates experience and I am not sure how to deal with it."

"So you do think we are mates?"

"I am quite sure of it actually."

"Then what's the problem," he asked as he turned to face her.

"I am older than you…..a lot older."

"I don't care."

"Much older," she whispered as he leaned in and cupped her cheek in his palm.

"It doesn't matter," he whispered back as the electricity pulsed through them. She closed her eyes and leaned in to capture his lips, but the sound of water spraying upward made them pull apart. Four vampires emerged from the water and she hissed as she immediately recognized two of them. She crouched defensively in front of Keegan as a low growl ripped from her chest.

"Alexander, Lena, what are you doing here," she asked as they stepped onto the shore. Alexander immediately recognized the look in her eyes and glanced at Lena who did as well. They tried to hide their smiles and bowed their heads.

"There is some business to tend to. You must be Keegan. It is nice to finally meet the newborn who has caused so many issues," said Alexander and Keegan pulled Zafrina closer to him as he stood up.

"That is Nate and Nolan. They are the ones that are after me," he revealed and Zafrina hissed at the men as the Cullens and Denali Coven emerged from the forest along with Micah. Edward read all of their thoughts and nodded at Alice before Alexander spoke again.

"The two brothers have decided to come forward with a complaint against Keegan. You see, as the protectors of law, we must listen to such complaints and see if they have any credibility. In this particular situation, we have heard both sides of the story either from the brothers or Alice who spoke on behalf of Keegan," explained Alexander. Everyone turned to look at Alice who smiled smugly.

"My meddling works wonders," she whispered to Edward and he rolled his eyes.

"The Cullens have nothing to do with this," declared Nolan and Nate nodded in agreement. The two brothers both had brown hair and were small in stature, barely above 5'7. They were not intimidating in size, but had been around for so many years that it would be unwise to underestimate them or their tactics.

"We know who the Cullens are and their power should not play a role in what will happen to Keegan. He killed our brother," shouted Nate, but Keegan shook his head.

"It was not my fault. He tried to kill me first!"

"It doesn't matter. Killing you will be justice served for us," yelled Nolan as he took a step forward, but Lena placed a stern hand on his shoulder to halt his movements. She smiled at Zafrina.

"It seems there is much more to it than that, gentlemen and we said you would be allowed to speak, but we never guaranteed punishment would be handed out. Besides, I believe Zafrina has much to say on the matter as well," explained Lena and Zafrina nodded as she placed her hand in Keegan's. Nolan and Nate glanced at each other as they acknowledged the possessive nature of her stance beside Keegan.

"If you even think of attacking my mate, I will make sure to end you each with my bare hands. It seems there is quite a dilemma, gentlemen. You want to kill the man I plan on spending an eternity with. If you would like to proceed, by all means, go ahead, but understand that my wrath will be far worse than anything you can expect from him." Nate and Nolan gulped as Eleazar stepped forward as well.

"Plus, this creates a problem for my coven. Zafrina is part of it and we cannot allow her to be put in danger, so if you attack her or her mate, you will ultimately be attacking the Denali Coven as well," warned Eleazar and Carlisle patted his friend on the back.

"I am sure you two understand where our loyalties lie as well. It would be a pity for such an uneven battle to play out, but we cannot allow our cousins to be attacked on our land and simply do nothing about it," added Carlisle. Before Alexander could ask them to respond, the brothers jumped back into the water and headed for home. Jasper crossed his arms.

"You can't let them go. They are responsible for the publicized murders in Tacoma, which means they broke the law," said Jasper and Lena nodded.

"Oh we know. We cannot control the drinking habits of others or feuds for that matter, but the moment they began to draw attention to themselves, it became our issue. I am sure the people of Tacoma would thank you if they knew you were relieving their city of two sadistic vampires," said Lena and Carlisle frowned in confusion.

"If you knew all of this, then why did you allow them to come here," asked Carlisle.

"Semantics Carlisle, your name is well known in our world and so are your connections with Marcus and Didyme. We could not in good faith allow people to think things would go unchecked just because we know the Cullens. It was simply a process to undergo and we apologize for the inconvenience, but we needed to get down to the bottom of the situation before deciding either way. Keegan was seen as a threat until Alice explained what took place. We could not just turn the brothers away based on our faith in you. I hope you understand," explained Alexander and Carlisle nodded.

"Of course, you two have a job to do and we understand that. Tell Marcus and Didyme we said hello and hope they are well." They both bowed and turned toward the water.

"After you my love," said Alexander and Lena kissed his cheek.

"Let's wait until they reach land. Eliminations are so much more complicated in the water," suggested Lena and her mate nodded before disappearing into the water with her. Alice clapped happily and turned to Zafrina to speak.

"Quiet Alice," demanded Zafrina and before Alice could say a word, she grabbed Keegan and kissed him passionately while the others stood by in awkward silence. When they finally pulled apart, Zafrina sighed in relief.

"I wanted to do that before there were anymore interruptions. Now Alice, as you were." Alice skipped over to them and held their hands.

"You two are going to have a fabulous wedding and….."

"Wedding, we just got together," chuckled Keegan and Zafrina nodded.

"I want to show him a bit of the world before we settle down. Give us some time together before you start planning anything extravagant Alice," said Zafrina and Alice scoffed.

"It will be a simple wedding, a hundred guests and….."

"No, we are leaving in the morning. I promise you that when we settle down in Alaska, you will be the first to know…..as I am sure you will be searching for that future….and you can plan us a nice wedding then," assured Zafrina as Alice crossed her arms.

"But what about tradition and milestones, there are things you are supposed to do before the thing you two are about to go do soon," whispered Alice and Zafrina rolled her eyes.

"Oh Alice, you of all people should know I am not the traditional type," teased Zafrina and Alice pushed out her bottom lip as Keegan chuckled. Jasper wrapped his arms around his wife.

"Cheer up darlin', there will be plenty of time for wedding planning later. Let's go relax and have our own celebration," suggested Jasper with a charming smile. She giggled and held his hand as they disappeared into the forest. Keegan walked over to Micah and hugged her.

"So, do you mind us staying with the group for a bit? Zafrina and I are going to do some traveling but when we return….."

"This isn't where I belong and I think we both know that. This is what I wanted for you. I wanted you to be happy and to know that you would be safe. It is time for me to move on in more ways than one." Keegan hugged her and she kissed his cheek before giving Zafrina a look.

"Alright, I am his mother so be good to him or deal with me," warned Micah and Zafrina nodded.

"Don't worry. I will," said Zafrina and Micah turned to Garrett. He gave her a big hug and she giggled as they pulled away.

"Before I go, I wanted to tell you to make sure Alice doesn't try anything. She mentioned something about searching for happiness for me. Tell her thanks, but no thanks," said Micah and Garrett shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure, no problem," he agreed and she pointed at Keegan.

"And she said she would call my phone when she saw something, which means she thinks she can get my number from you. Don't give it to her," stated Micah and Keegan saluted.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Keegan and Micah waved at the rest of the group. They told her goodbye and watched as she disappeared into the water. Garrett looked over at Keegan.

"You already gave Alice the number didn't you?"

"Yea, last night, she is very persuasive and besides she would have used her voodoo magic or whatever it is to get it anyways," confessed Keegan and Edward nodded.

"You just got here, but you already know Alice well," teased Edward as everyone laughed. Keegan smiled at his mate and the others left them alone to finally get the privacy they wanted so badly.

A week later, the Denali Coven, along with Keegan and Zafrina, were back in Alaska. The new mates decided to start their world excursion at the place that Keegan would call home from that point forth. Alice assured them that Keegan would be fine and if there were any slip ups with his power, Zafrina would be able to stop him from losing complete control. She was still disappointed that a wedding would not be in order for at least a year, but understood that the two of them needed their privacy. The mate bond was so intense, that a year alone together still would not be enough, but they would be sated enough to endure Alice's wedding planning and frenzied pace. Jasper decided to distract Alice with a trip to Paris where she could spend time with her mate and shop, two of her favorite pastimes. Renesmee, Nahuel, Seth and Kaya were exhausted from the past days and decided to get some much needed rest and time alone with their mates in their cottages. Rosalie, Emmett and Zach went on a long hunting trip that Emmett had been looking forward to since the previous year. The grizzly bears were extremely irritable that time of year when disturbed, just like he loved them to be. Carlisle and Esme took advantage of their quiet household with some much needed peace and intimate time together as mates. With everyone else distracted, Bella and Edward did something that they had wanted to do for a very long time. They returned to Forks, not due to a dangerous situation or when the rest of the family was in attendance, but just the two of them alone for leisure. Edward drove his newly acquired silver Volvo past the Forks City Limits sign and kissed the top of Bella's hand as she sighed happily.

"We rarely get to do this, just drive into Forks without a care in the world. Before we thoroughly enjoy ourselves though, can we stop by my dad's place," she asked and Edward's crooked grin played on his lips.

"Checking up on your dad, Sue and Billy?"

"Oh most definitely," she giggled and he winked at her as they turned down the street that led to her old home. She looked out at the high school where their love first blossomed into a tangible entity. Some of the memories were blurry for her, something that was to be expected after so many years as a vampire, but she still remembered the feeling that captured her heart when she first looked into Edward's eyes. There was something already there on that first day and she could have never imagined the love that she would find with Edward. He parked the car in front of Charlie and Sue's house and smiled as he jogged around the car to open her door for her. Coming back to Bella's old home had a special place in his heart as well and he remembered the first night he stayed in her bedroom. Charlie jogged outside onto the porch and waved them in.

"Hey, where is everyone else," asked Charlie and Bella hugged him.

"Just us this time dad, we are just passing through. I wanted to see how you were doing. How are things with Billy?" They followed Charlie into the house and sat down in the living room. Sue walked in with a cup of tea and gave them each a hug before sitting beside her husband.

"I am glad you two came by. I just want to apologize for the awkward tension everyone had to witness at the meeting. I guess after so many years, I expected things to be better, but I realized that night that none of us ever dealt with the issue. We always found ways to ignore the elephant in the room," said Sue and Bella smiled at her stepmother.

"Don't worry. It was actually nice to see you stand up for my dad and I learned where Leah gets it from," teased Bella.

"Billy should know better than to mess with my wife. I knew my presence would cause issues. I just wish he would…."

"Charlie, I hate to interrupt, but there is someone coming up the street that would like to talk with you," said Edward with a smile and Bella looked at her husband curiously.

"What is going on," she asked and he gave a sly smile.

"You'll see," said Edward as he motioned for them all to go outside. As soon as they stepped onto the porch, Jacob's truck pulled into the driveway. Jacob hopped out and smiled at Edward before jogging around to the passenger side. Charlie's eyes widened when he saw Billy open the door. Jacob helped Billy into his wheelchair and Charlie looked at Bella in shock.

"Did you have something to do with this," he asked and she shook her head as she held her mate's hand.

"No, but I have a feeling my husband did." Edward shrugged nonchalantly.

"I just helped the process along, but Jacob is the one that finally got through to him. I just put in a call to Jacob and told him we would be in the area. I figured it would be nice for us to see him and Billy," explained Edward as Billy rolled toward the porch steps. Jacob waved at everyone and gave his dad a warning look. Billy sighed.

"Charlie, can we talk," he asked and Charlie glanced at Sue. She winked at him and motioned for the others to come inside.

"Jake, I just made some tea. We can all catch up while these two talk," she suggested and Jacob walked inside with Sue, Edward and Bella. Charlie rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he made his way down the stairs of the porch. The two old friends were silent, but Charlie immediately noticed the lack of tension. Billy no longer leered at him with anger and betrayal in his eyes. Instead, he looked apologetic.

"I hear there is some big fishing to be done this year. It has been a while since I have been out to the old dock," said Billy and Charlie grinned as he understood the sentiment behind the words.

"Same here, it has been a while."

"So you think the old ball and chain will let you out to play tomorrow?" Charlie smirked.

"Oh I think I can sneak away, what time?"

"Bright and early as usual," answered Billy and Charlie sighed in relief as the words set in. He knew the two of them could never have the exact same relationship, but he wanted to salvage what remained. Sue poked her head out of the door.

"Jake said Leah and Josh are willing to come over if you want to hang out here for a bit. I am making chili. Can you stay for dinner," she asked and Charlie held his breath as he waited for Billy's answer. Billy put on his best smile and nodded.

"I wouldn't miss your homemade chili for the world. Thanks for the invitation." Sue smiled at him before going back inside and Charlie patted Billy's shoulder.

"Come on, I'll get us some beers." Billy nodded and the two of them smiled knowing that all had been forgiven.

After an hour of catching up with Charlie, Sue, Billy and Jacob, Bella and Edward headed to their destination. A trip down Highway 101 North to Highway 110 until the pavement ended placed them five miles from one of their favorite places. They ran the rest of the way to the place that was only meant for them, the meadow. It was still one of the loveliest places Bella had ever seen and the flowers were already starting to sprout up from the soft, dewy grass. It was still their beautiful clearing in the forest where nothing else mattered but them. They lay down on the grass and she cuddled into his side as he looked up at the cloudy sky. The rain already swept through the region earlier that day and all that was left were the overcast clouds. Edward closed his eyes and opened his other senses. The smell of the flowers, the trees and Bella swirled around him and he found a peace that only she could bring.

"Do you hear that," he whispered and she listened out for humans, but heard nothing.

"No."

"Exactly, no Alice to plan anything or family meetings, there are no threats or arguments echoing around. It is just you and me," he smiled as he rolled on top of her and she giggled as he nipped at her neck.

"Definitely nice, but I think Alice has rubbed off on you after all these years."

"What are talking about?"

"Meddling with my dad, stepmom and Billy seems very much like Alice if you ask me." He smiled the crooked grin she could never resist.

"I have been known to meddle at times, but only when I know I am right," he teased. Her fingers slid into his hair and she pulled him in for a passionate kiss, but suddenly his phone rang. He growled as he pulled it out of his pocket and saw who it was. He turned the phone off and tossed it to the side as Bella giggled.

"I turned mine off before we left my dad's house."

"Good," he chuckled and she crawled on top of him before capturing his lips.

Alice gasped and flipped her phone shut as she sat up in her plush, pillow top bed in Paris. The five-star hotel Jasper picked out was one of her favorites and she giggled at the sound of her husband humming a tune as he strolled out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. His hair was still damp from his shower and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I thought I told you to come join me darlin'." She giggled as he crawled back onto the bed.

"I know and I will make it up to you, but I got a vision. I already texted, emailed, and called Micah. She turned off the phone after the third call, but I know she checked the messages. Rome, Jazzy, her mate is in Rome. Oh it will be so romantic when they meet and she will be hesitant, but…" He cut her off with a mind altering kiss and she no longer cared about the vision, Rome, or anyone, except Jasper. He kissed down her neck and she giggled, but then remembered why she was upset before Jasper distracted her.

"Edward hung up on me," she mumbled and Jasper shrugged.

"I would have hung up too."

"Jazzy!"

"It's true darlin'. He is trying to have alone time with his mate just like I am trying to have alone time with mine. Now, no more talking," he instructed and she giggled as she straddled his waist. He placed his hands behind his head with a charming smile as she leaned down to pepper kisses along his jaw line.

"Yes sir," she complied and with that, nothing else mattered but them. All the problems had been resolved, the tension ceased, and it was time to enjoy each other like only mates could.

AN: The End….for now ;) I hope you all enjoyed. Reviews are always nice, so let me know what you thought of the latest story in The Choice Series!


	6. Another Sequel: Benjamin's Choice!

AN: It seems like just yesterday, I finished Garrett's Choice, but when inspiration struck I had to act on it. Benjamin's Choice has now been posted on my profile, so check it out! That makes the grand total in the Choice Series, 8!

Renesmee's Choice

Seth's Choice

Consequences

Rosalie's Choice

Leah's Choice

Jasper's Choice

Garrett's Choice

Benjamin's Choice

~Emmettroselover


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